LITTLE ROCK (AP) -- Gov. Mike Huckabee's legislative liaison, accused of threatening county officials over political activity, resigned Monday after it was disclosed that he once faced charges that he stole $15,000 from a former employer.
Carl Bayne's record was expunged of charges filed in the 1980s, and Huckabee's administration said Monday it was not aware that Bayne had been charged with stealing from the Arkansas Association of Quorum Courts.
"We were aware of a previous incident that had been expunged. However, we were not aware of the details of that incident," Huckabee spokesman Jim Harris said Monday night.
"Because he feels that his ability to serve the governor in his position as legislative director has been compromised by the events of today, Mr. Bayne has submitted his resignation effective immediately."
Earlier Monday, the spokesman for the Arkansas Association of Counties said Bayne had threatened county officials who might attend a Tuesday event hosted by Jimmie Lou Fisher, who is running against Huckabee.
Association spokesman David Morris said Bayne told him that, if Fisher did not defeat Huckabee next month, it would not be good for counties if their officials attended Fisher's event.
"He said in case she does not pull this off, it would be in the best interest of the counties and county officials not to be seen up there," Morris said, describing a face-to-face meeting with Bayne in a parking lot near the Capitol. "I took it as some sort of threat."
Harris acknowledged that a conversation took place between Bayne and Morris but said no threat was intended.
"There were a number of topics discussed, including the sales tax on food. And there was one question asked about what the Tuesday event was with the county officials. That's the extent of the conversation about that issue," Harris said. "There was no threat."
At one time, Bayne worked for the counties association as a lobbyist and in other capacities. He also served as executive secretary of the of the Arkansas Association of Quorum Courts.
In the theft case, Bayne was charged in Pulaski County Circuit Court with stealing more than $15,000 from the quorum courts association, according to a 1988 newspaper account.
Bayne pleaded guilty in August 1988 to embezzling the money and he agreed to repay $15,670 plus a $500 fine and court costs. He received five-years probation, with one year supervised, according to an Arkansas Democrat report Aug. 16, 1988.
Bayne could not be reached for comment Monday evening. Telephone numbers of people in that name in the Little Rock area were either unlisted or disconnected.
Vincent Insalaco, Fisher's campaign manager, said the incident gave her campaign additional fuel because of earlier pardons and clemencies pursued by the governor and questioned by Fisher.
"This probably goes to the heart of the matter of the entire Huckabee administration, that he has let dangerous criminals out of prison or has been directly or indirectly responsible for that," Insalaco said. "He has allowed people with felony charges to work on the staff and be liaison with the Legislature."
Fisher's campaign called a news conference for Tuesday to encourage cooperation among state and local officials. Fisher spokeswoman Jennifer Oglesby said the campaign did not arrange the event with the counties association.
