Arkansas ethics commissioner resigns

LITTLE ROCK (AP) -- Herschel Cleveland, an Arkansas ethics commissioner who made illegal campaign donations to two Democratic candidates in the 2006 election, resigned his post Friday after two years of service. Cleveland ran into trouble in the early part of this year after he gave $500 to gubernatorial candidate Mike Beebe and $250 to Mike Hathorn of Huntsville, who ran unsuccessfully for lieutenant governor in the Democratic primary. Arkansas law bars ethics commissioners from contributing to candidates who are running for state or local office. Cleveland was later fined $500 and issued a letter of caution. Cleveland apologized to the commission, saying he had made a mistake. Cleveland, the lawyer and Democrat from Paris, said the contributions had nothing to do with his decision to resign from the panel. Read More