A Son’s Past Deeds Come Back To Bite Huckabee

NEWSWEEK ^ | Dec 15, 2007 | Michael Isikoff and Holly Bailey

[Aristotelian]

As Mike Huckabee gains in the polls, the former Arkansas governor is finding that his record in office is getting more scrutiny. One issue likely to get attention is his handling of a sensitive family matter: allegations that one of his sons was involved in the hanging of a stray dog at a Boy Scout camp in 1998.

The incident led to the dismissal of David Huckabee, then 17, from his job as a counselor at Camp Pioneer in Hatfield, Ark. It also prompted the local prosecuting attorney— bombarded with complaints generated by a national animal-rights group—to write a letter to the Arkansas state police seeking help investigating whether David and another teenager had violated state animal-cruelty laws.

The state police never granted the request, and no charges were ever filed. But John Bailey, then the director of Arkansas's state police, tells NEWSWEEK that Governor Huckabee's chief of staff and personal lawyer both leaned on him to write a letter officially denying the local prosecutor's request.

Bailey, a career officer who had been appointed chief by Huckabee's Democratic predecessor, said he viewed the lawyer's intervention as improper and terminated the conversation. Seven months later, he was called into Huckabee's office and fired.

"I've lost confidence in your ability to do your job," Bailey says Huckabee told him. One reason Huckabee cited was "I couldn't get you to help me with my son when I had that problem," according to Bailey.

"Without question, [Huckabee] was making a conscious attempt to keep the state police from investigating his son," says I. C. Smith, the former FBI chief in Little Rock, who worked closely with Bailey and called him a "courageous" and "very solid" professional.

[Aristotelian]

Dogged: An incident involving his son David could hurt Huckabee

I sure hope GOP primary voters are paying attention to all the dirt coming out about the Huckster.

[mewzilla]

I just wonder what “Spikey” Isikoff is sitting on....

[PurpleMan]

Strange. He doesn’t look like Michael Vick.

[nuconvert]

And where is Socks the cat?

[Aristotelian]

Isikoff was just on MSNBC talking about this story. I assume the Huckster will soon be asked to respond.

[littlehouse36]

[mountainbunny]

Thank you for posting this.

I don’t hold parents responsible for their kids, but if Huckabee’s son (at 17) was big enough to do cruel, violent, idiotic things, he was old enough to face the music without daddy pulling strings and intimidating people.

It bothers me deeply that Huckabee would cover for his child in this way.

[Soliton]

Arkansas is also the only state where Big Foot has been proven to be extinct.

[Ol' Dan Tucker]

It’s not the crime. It’s the cover-up.

[steve-b]

But John Bailey, then the director of Arkansas's state police, tells NEWSWEEK that Governor Huckabee's chief of staff and personal lawyer both leaned on him to write a letter officially denying the local prosecutor's request.

If confirmed, that's the sort of sleaze we've come to associate with another Arkansas governor. One such in the White House was already one too many.

[eastsider]

"Without question, [Huckabee] was making a conscious attempt to keep the state police from investigating his son," says I. C. Smith, the former FBI chief in Little Rock, who worked closely with Bailey and called him a "courageous" and "very solid" professional.

This is a damning accusation. Can't wait to see Huckabee try to jive himself out of this one.

[AxelPaulsenJr]

LOL, the anti-Hucksters are in full force........

[FishTale]

Isn’t that the guy that whacked Nancy Kerrigan?

[Nonstatist]

April of this year, he was arrested—and paid a fine—when he forgot to remove a loaded gun from his carry-on luggage at Little Rock airport.

Fat, ugly and deranged; no way to go through life, son.

[AxelPaulsenJr]

Isn’t that the guy that whacked Nancy Kerrigan?

That was Tonya Harding, and don't fail to see her new skating show, "The KneeCracker".

[cajungirl]

THe crime, a 17 year old young male hanging a dog, is pretty damn terrible.

[Bulldawg Fan]

Huckabee is one of the worst choices we could make...especially if the Dims nominate Obama and the Presidency is ours for the taking.

[ellery]

I have no idea whether or not the police officer’s account is true.

However, the fact is that Huckabee’s son did apparently torture and kill a stray dog, and he apparently did not suffer any legal consequences for doing so. That is appalling.

[Uriah_lost]

There is not much that I would put past a PK(Preachers Kid). My time involved with a very conservative denomination cleared that all up for me. They often don’t learn right from wrong because Daddy is always thinking about how it will reflect on their ministry and makes it go away. It’s not universal or even that pervasive but you see it in the more “ambitious” types.

[eastsider]

Nominating Huckabee is nothing short of a death wish for the party.