New sources, including an advisor to Gov. Mike Huckabee, have told the Arkansas Times that Huckabee and a senior member of his staff exerted behind-the-scenes influence to bring about the parole of rapist Wayne Dumond, who Missouri authorities say raped and killed a woman there shortly after his parole.
Huckabee has denied a role in Dumond’s release, which has become an issue in his race for re-election against Democrat Jimmie Lou Fisher. Fisher says Huckabee’s advocacy of Dumond’s freedom, plus other acts of executive clemency, exhibit poor judgment. In response, Huckabee has shifted responsibility for Dumond’s release to others, claiming former Gov. Jim Guy Tucker made Dumond eligible for parole and saying the Post Prison Transfer Board made the decision on its own to free Dumond.
Again – Huckabee denies any wrongdoing on his part. This is beyond the pale, and for this man to be the GOP’s front runner for 2012 spells nothing but trouble for the opposition party.
Perhaps what should happen now is that the family of the four officers murdered file suit against Huckabee. It’s hard to sue an official acting in an official capacity, but it should be done and the courts should not give Huckabee any leniency for acting as governor. It’s time to show governors that if they want to release people for prison then their actions can have consequence. Maurice Clemmons and Wayne Dumond weren’t petty criminals – they were extremely violent. That was the case when Huckabee let them go and they went on to prove it again.