Huckabee's Willie Horton---The Ghost of Wayne Dumond

Huckabee strongly advocated the release of convicted rapist, Wayne Dumond. His involvement is vast and well-documented. Now he's trying to blame the parole board.

“I signed the [parole] papers because the governor wanted Dumond paroled. I was thinking the governor was working for the best interests of the state.”—Ermer Pondexter, ex-member of the board of pardons and paroles

This from a special in the Arkansas Times from 2005.

The story goes on to document that the parole board at first denied parole to Dumond after Huckabee had made overtures that he wanted Dumond to be paroled. The vote of 4-1 came on August 29, 1996.

On September 20, 1996, Huckabee, who now blames the parole board and claims no responsibility, "announced his intention to commute Wayne Dumond’s sentence to time served."

Huckabee waited until 4 days before his period for consideration of Dumond's clemency was to expire. On that day, the parole board did something unprecedented. Responding to pressure from the governor's office, they held a vote on Dumond's case nearly 7 months before his next parole hearing should have been. This time they voted in favor of parole.

So now Huckabee is blaming the parole board, as if he had no involvement. He sounds like Sergeant Schultz from Hogan's Heroes---"I know nuthink. I see nuthink..."

This is the same thing he's trying to do with the 1999 Highway Tax---blame it on someone else. We should just ignore the fact that it was his idea.

Huckabee denied Dumond a pardon, fearing a public backlash, in the exact same manner that he avoided pushing a tax increase that he would have to sign in favor of pushing it in a ballot initiative, so that the people of Arkansas would be responsible, not the governor who wanted the tax increase to begin with.

To drive the point home that it doesn't matter whether Dumond's parole was due to Huckabee or not, he wanted Dumond released. The following is a portion of a letter by Huckabee to Dumond denying his request for a pardon. Note that Huckabee clearly states that he wants Dumond set free.

“Dear Wayne,” Huckabee wrote, “I have reviewed your applications for executive clemency, specifically a commutation and/or pardon. ... My desire is that you be released from prison. I feel now that parole is the best way for your reintegration into society. ... Therefore, after careful consideration ... I have denied your applications.”

Huckabee stated the following in a statement released after Dumond's parole. He emphasized that he was glad that Dumond had been released.

"I concur with the board’s action and hope the lives of all those involved can move forward. The action of the board accomplishes what I sought to do in considering an earlier request for commutation ...In light of the action of the board, my original intent to commute the sentence to time served is no longer relevant."

One thing is for sure. If Dumond hadn't had the support of the governor, he wouldn't have had a special parole hearing only 5 months after his last vote. It would have been 7 months later at the earliest, as is standard procedure for the parole board.

Here's the link to the new AP story about Huck trying to distance himself from Dumond.

Here's the link to the Arkansas Times story. Some of the text is covered by ads because of a format change.