A heated argument about records at Little Rock City Hall occurs at the board meeting on Tuesday

Little Rock, Arkansas – The Public of Little Rock Board of Directors meeting on Tuesday descended into a scuffle after one member accused Mayor Frank Scott, Jr. of obstructing the release of city records.

A two-year-old paper detailing plans to rehabilitate specific areas of the capital city, including the potential for constructing low-income housing in War Memorial Park, according to director Capi Peck, was allegedly withheld from the public by the mayor.

Scott refuted the charge and charged that his political rivals had pushed the issue a week before the election.

“I just cannot imagine what could be so controversial about a two-plus-year-old document from the planning department,” Peck said. “Mayor, what in this RFQ is so secretive? Why did you not want it released?”

Scott declared that he was not being tried or interrogated and that he would first listen to Peck before responding.

“You’re basically calling me a liar and I take great offense to that,” Peck responded.

Peck said Scott labeled him a liar, but Scott insisted he never did.

“I’ve not instructed Director [Jamie] Collins nor City Manager [Bruce] Moore not to produce or release anything whatsoever. That’s the fact. That’s the truth. That’s my word,” Scott said. “To the people of Little Rock: It’s seven days away from an election. There are a lot of weird things that are going to happen. I’m sure more is going to happen tomorrow. I mean, it is what it is on that particular standpoint.”

Peck claimed to have heard Moore claim that Scott had instructed him not to send the document.

“Mr. Moore did not have a document to send,” Scott responded. “Again, I’ve already stated that.”

Earlier on Tuesday, Pulaski County Prosecutor Larry Jegley wrote a letter to Little Rock City Attorney Tom Carpenter saying he has “had about enough of this nonsense with Little Rock City Hall about the Freedom of Information Act.”