February 1998

Governor's '97 income, gifts reported in filing Royalties, free sporting goods augment salary Date: 2/4/98 Category: News Page: B1 BY ELIZABETH McFARLAND ARKANSAS DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE Gov. Mike Huckabee enhanced his governor's salary in 1997 with book royalties, rental property income and expense reimbursement by his campaign committee. He and his wife, Janet, also accepted 85 gifts, ranging from a monogrammed taekwondo uniform for Huckabee to a parasailing ride for her. Huckabee revealed these details in his Statement of Financial Interest, filed Monday. Under Arkansas law, state officials and agency heads must file the statements. The statements do not require exact amounts of income, but only require that a filer check a box indicating whether each source of income totals more than $1,000 or more than $12,500 a year. Huckabee is paid $65,181 a year from tax funds as his salary for being governor. He also is reimbursed for expenses. His statement indicates he received more than $12,500 in royalties for his book, Character . Is the Issue; more than $1,000 for leasing his former home in Texarkana; and more than $1,000 for campaign expense reimbursement. Rebecca Patterson, campaign spokesman, said the campaign reimbursed Huckabee for an out-of-state campaign trip he made last fall. She declined to say where Huckabee went and the date of the trip. In addition to income, Huckabee lists business interests or holdings in: NationsBank, more than $1,000; his rental house at 2 Cambridge Drive in Texarkana, more than $12,500; and the Annuity Board of the Southern Baptist Convention, more than $12,500. Huckabee does not list the value of the gifts he and his wife received. Many of the gifts are transportation and tickets to sporting events, such as a Dallas Cowboys game and Arkansas Razorback games. Clothing received by the Huckabees include neckties from Le-Bil's Traditional & Fashion Neckwear; shirts from Mar-Bax Shirt Co. in Gassville; jackets and rain suits from Basscat; a warm-up suit, shirt and shoes from the University of Arkansas Athletic Department; a hunting vest and cap from McAllister's; a wading jacket from the Game and Fish Foundation; and cowboy boots from Lloyd Stone of Conway, Arkansas Republican Party chairman. Huckabee, his wife, and daughter, Sarah, received eyewear from George Haus of Sherwood. Janet Huckabee received a Dillard's gift certificate from Cabinet members, fly fishing lessons from the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission. The governor's staff gave the Huckabees gift certificates from Gene Lockwoods and Jumbo Sports. The Jennings Osborne family, wealthy Little Rock philanthropists, gave an array of gifts, including gift certificates to Baumans Men's Shop; 200 copies of Character Is the Issue; neckties; a framed photograph of Huckabee and former President Bush; a Mr. Wick's Inc. gift certificate; various floral arrangements; clothes for Janet Huckabee; a Dillard's gift certificate; a sculpture, a statuette; and air travel to and from Houston, Texas, and two nights' lodging for Janet Huckabee to attend the Bush Library dedication. Huckabee also received a shotgun from childhood friend Lester Sitzes of Hope; knives from Jerry Fisk and Craig Quattlebaum; a day cruise of New York from Forbes Magazine; a briefcase from Wal-Mart; and ear molds from the Statco Hearing Laboratory. He also received honorary membership in the Chenal Valley Country Club, the Little Rock Club, Pleasant Valley Country Club, Little Rock Country Club, Maumelle Bass Club and The Old Fishing Club. Several such memberships are customary for Arkansas governors and other prominent people. Huckabee listed nine nongovernmental sources of payment. They include use of an Entergy lodge at Lake Catherine for a staff retreat, "governor's office" jackets from Entergy for tornado outreach workers from the governor's office, food for the governor's office from the Osbome family, and air transportation from Hot Springs to Dallas, Texas, to participate in a unnamed pregame devotional

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