I mentioned earlier today that former Arkansas Supreme Court Justice Jack Holt is filing an ethics complaint against U.S. Rep Tom Cotton, alleging that Cotton failed to disclose clients he had worked for as a McKinsey consultant. Here’s a copy of the complaint, which was filed today.  

From the complaint: 

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According to Mr. Cotton’s Facebook page, he has “advised some of America’s most respected companies on business strategy, operations, finance, and marketing. His industry experience includes agribusiness, health care, oil and gas, food processing, insurance, and aerospace.” Remarkably, however, Mr. Cotton has refused to name the specific clients that he represented despite being required to do so by law. …

By refusing to identify the private clients he worked for during the years immediately preceding his election, Mr. Cotton has effectively thwarted the purpose of the federal financial disclosure requirements. Mr. Cotton’s actions demand further investigation by the Office of Congressional Ethics to determine whether a formal reprimand or more serious action is warranted. 

In a press release, Democratic Party of Arkansas attorney Benton Smith said, “Arkansans deserve to know whether Congressman Cotton sees himself as above the law. Congressman Cotton should give a full accounting of the clients from his time as a Washington consultant so that the people of Arkansas have the information they are entitled to when they cast their votes in November.” 

Cotton’s camp says that it’s much ado about nothing. Cotton spokesperson David Ray told Talk Business, “Just like the Democratic Party’s previous complaints, this one is frivolous, false, and wholly without merit.” 

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