Ballot-title seekers linked to fundraiser; Beebe cancels event
Posted on Saturday, December 17, 2005
Democratic gubernatorial candidate Mike Beebe canceled a fundraiser in Russellville after it was learned that the Lost Cherokee of Arkansas had submitted a ballot title for a proposed constitutional amendment for review by the attorney general’s office.
Beebe campaign manager Chris Masingill said Friday that campaign officials didn’t know until earlier this week that the Cherokee of Arkansas was planning to sponsor the fundraiser for Beebe on Friday night at the Old South Restaurant until they read about it in The Courier newspaper.
Officials of the Lost Cherokee of Arkansas said they and the Cherokee of Arkansas are separate groups.
Cliff Bishop called the campaign several weeks ago and offered to organize the fundraiser, but campaign officials didn’t realize that he was affiliated with the Lost Cherokee, Masingill said.
Beebe subsequently was notified that the Lost Cherokee of Arkansas had submitted a ballot title for review by the attorney general for a proposed constitutional amendment that would give the tribe official state recognition, Masingill said.
“Once we discovered there was a ballot title request, it changed everything. [Beebe ] immediately canceled the fundraiser” on either Tuesday or Wednesday, Masingill said.
“It would have been unethical to have additional interaction” with the organization, Masingill said.
Dub Maxwell of Jonesboro, a headman of the Lost Cherokee of Arkansas and Missouri, submitted the ballot title for the proposed constitutional amendment to the attorney general’s office on Dec. 7, said Matt DeCample, a spokesman for the attorney general’s office.
Beebe has until Wednesday to certify or reject the popular name and ballot title for the proposed constitutional amendment, DeCample said.
While Beebe has met individual members of the Lost Cherokee in his travels around the state during the past three years, he has never had a business meeting with any representatives of the group, according to DeCample.
But Bishop denied Masingill’s assertions that Bishop called the campaign and offered to organize a fundraiser for Beebe.
Bishop said he’s a rancher from Bartlesville, Okla., represents the Lost Cherokee and supports the proposed constitutional amendment. He said he purchased a ticket in Marshall for the fundraiser for Beebe sponsored by the Cherokee of Arkansas in Russellville.
Bishop said he had nothing to do with organizing the fundraiser for Beebe and didn’t contact Beebe’s campaign. “I wouldn’t know anyone in there,” he said.
Masingill insisted that campaign officials talked several times with Bishop about organizing a fundraiser for Beebe.
Mary Austin, owner of the Old South Restaurant, said Bishop contacted her late last month or early this month to set up a fundraiser Friday night for Beebe in Russellville. She said she intended to serve 125 meals to people attending the fundraiser.
But Masingill said the event wouldn’t happen Friday night.
Maxwell of the Lost Cherokee of Arkansas and Missouri said he submitted the ballot title for the proposed constitutional amendment because legislators recently “treated us as dogs and that personally upset me.” “I decided if they don’t want to listen to us, we will take it to the people and see if the people want to listen to us,” he said, referring to seeking state recognition for the Lost Cherokee of Arkansas.
Maxwell said the Lost Cherokee of Arkansas couldn’t operate casinos in Arkansas, even with state recognition, because the Lost Cherokee doesn’t have restricted land status.
He said he helped organize the fundraiser that was canceled, but it had nothing do with the proposed constitutional amendment.
“It was bad timing,” Maxwell said.
David Kinkade, a spokesman for Republican gubernatorial candidate Asa Hutchinson, declined to comment.
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