Q. Byrum Hurst, a Hot Springs attorney and Democratic candidate for Arkansas’ 4th District congressional seat, has been sanctioned 10 times by the Arkansas Supreme Court on Professional Conduct. The most recent sanction was in 2009 when Hurst was ordered to refund $25,000 to a client.
Hurst reportedly told a Little Rock reporter the sanctions are just a part of practicing law.
Hurst, who raised more than $100,000 during the first month of his campaign for the Democratic nomination to replace U.S. Rep. Mike Ross, faces State Sen. Gene Jeffress of Luann, and D.C. Morrison, a conservative Democratic and candidate in the 2010 U.S. Senate race who forced a runoff between incumbent U.S. Sen. Blanche Lincoln and former Lt. Gov. Bill Halter. Lincoln won the runoff, but lost to Republican John Boozman in the general election.
Army veteran and Dardanelle businessman Tom Cotton, U.S. Marine and Texarkana police officer John Cowart, and Beth Anne Rankin, the 2010 GOP nominee for Ross’ seat, are seeking the GOP nomination. All three participated in a GOP debate at the University of Arkansas at Monticello last month.
Hurst and Morrison both spoke at a recent candidate forum sponsored by the Drew County Democratic Party. Jeffress did not attend but his brother, State Sen. Jimmy Jeffress spoke on his behalf.
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There are some concerns and controversy on Tom Cotton’s military credentials. Questions of integrity and honesty have been brought up about his campaign overstating his military experience or record by claiming to be a US Army Ranger. This first showed up in printed material and in his last two video commercials Why someone would choose to only highlight his graduation from a two month army school can only mean he hoped to confuse viewers and give himself special operations credentials. With his real military record there was no reason to do this. At best it is an error in judgement and at worst an integrity issue.
Now it appears the commercials have been deleted from his campaign site and are under a privacy wall on youtube. A nerve must have been struck for this to be changed. Veterans don’t take kindly to overstating ones qualifications and members of the special operations community frown on someone who tries to cover oneself with special ops credentials. One can watch the full commercial here. http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/campaign-ad-2012-sponsored-by-cotton-tom/2012/04/26/gIQARgfgjT_video.html
This is borderline stolen valor and needs to be addressed and answered.
If you are an attorney who has been sanctioned 10 times and the last time you had to pay your client $25,000 then you are not someone who needs to be representing the 4th District in the House of Representatives.There are plenty of liars, cheaters, theives, etc. in Washington as it is. Sanctions are not part of being an attorney unless you have ethics problems.