| Preston Conrad Bynum | |
|---|---|
| Arkansas State Representative from Benton County | |
| In office 1969 – 1980 |
|
| Preceded by | Jim Sheets |
| Succeeded by | Jerry E. Hinshaw |
| Personal details | |
| Born | June 8, 1939 |
| Political party | Republican |
| Residence | (1) Siloam Springs Benton County, Arkansas (2) Little Rock, Pulaski County, Arkansas |
| Occupation | Businessman Lobbyist |
| Religion | Baptist |
Preston Conrad Bynum (born June 8, 1939) is a high-powered lobbyist in Little Rock, Arkansas, who served as a Republican member of the Arkansas House of Representatives from January 1969 to December 1980. On his first election, Bynum was one of only four Republicans in the 100-member House; when his party's delegation numbered five or six, he became, as senior member, the minority leader. Bynum succeeded fellow Republican James Lee "Jim" Sheets, then of Siloam Springs in Benton County, who did not seek a second term. At the time, Bynum was an automobile dealer in Siloam Springs in a business begun by his father, Homer F. Bynum (1911–2004).[1] Siloam Springs is one of the northwestern Arkansas towns in Benton County receptive the Republican political message.
He did not seek reelection in 1980 but instead became chief of staff to Republican Governor Frank D. White. He now represents a number of major Arkansas clients through his Phoenix Investment Group, Inc., of Little Rock.[2]
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During Bynum's third term in the Arkansas House, he was the chamber's only Republican representative. He was a vocal supporter of U.S. President Richard M. Nixon, who was elected to the White House in the same election which sent Bynum to the legislature. In 1974, Bynum said that Watergate revelations put him and other Nixon backers in a tense position: "I accepted his statements on true face value. So naturally, I'm disappointed he didn't tell me the truth."
Nevertheless, Bynum called Nixon "the greatest President this country's ever had." Bynum calculated Nixon's greatness on having disengaged from the Vietnam War, dismantling some federal agencies that reduced the size of the bureaucracy, and "being known as a world leader."
Bynum said that impeachment by the House and conviction by the U.S. Senate was a foregone conclusion. Bynum did not suggest that Nixon resignation, "In the past I've been right down the line with him, but the presidency is crumbling," Bynum said in a Time magazine interview.
After the election of Frank White as governor in November 1980, Bynum and a House colleague, Carolyn Pollan of Fort Smith, the seat of Sebastian County, prepared the 1981 budget while White went on a post-election vacation to celebrate his defeat of incumbent Governor Bill Clinton. Bynum and Pollan kept the current budget figures but with 5 percent across-the-board cuts. Pollan continued to serve in the House but also functioned as White's legislative counsel.[3]
Len E. Blaylock, a former partisan of Winthrop Rockefeller who had himself lost the 1972 gubernatorial general election to the Democratic incumbent Dale Bumpers, joined the new administration as appointments secretary. Bynum coordinated who would see White, for how long, and what issues the new governor would address.
After White left the governorship, Bynum began a successful business and lobbying career. He is a member of the Association of General Contractors,[4] and he has many clients, including Northwest Arkansas Community College in Bentonville. The NWACC president said that she "sought and received nothing but positive feedback" before the institution hired Bynum: "He is very well respected in the halls of the State Capitol, he is an effective lobbyist, and he will do a good job representing the college's interests."[5]
Bynum encountered serious legal problems in the middle 1990s. While employed by the Little Rock investment banking firm Stephens, Inc., he was indicted by a federal grand jury on charges of bribery and falsifying tax returns. He was charged with having bribed Terry D. Busbee (born 1942), a county official in Pensacola, Florida, in an effort to obtain a bond underwriting deal for Stephens. Bynum arranged four loans to Busbee from the Worthen National Bank in Little Rock. Bynum subsequently repaid the loans. Bynum was convicted, fined, and imprisoned. He was forbidden to represent clients in the securities business for the rest of his life. According to the SEC 6/20/95 report: "The Commission's complaint, filed in January 1995, alleged that Bynum, formerly an employee of the public finance dpeartment of Stephens Inc., defrauded the Escambia County Utilities Authority (ECUA) and investors in three offerings of municipal securities issued by the ECUA. (Rel. 34-35870)."
Bynum and Busbee were both imprisoned. Bynum was released by the Bureau of Prisons on July 1, 1998.[6]
Bynum quickly resumed his lobbying activities. He has been credited with obtaining the passage of legislation, approved by law enforcement in general, to make it legal for Arkansans to be in possession of knives used for self-defense.[7]
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by James Lee "Jim" Sheets (R) |
Arkansas State Representative from Benton County
Preston Conrad Bynum (R) |
Succeeded by Jerry E. Hinshaw (R) |
Arkansas Election Statistics, 1968 (Little Rock: Secretary of State)
Arkansas Outlook (Arkansas State Republican Party newsletter), February 1970
http://query.nytimes.com/search/query?ppds=per&v1=BYNUM%2C+PRESTON&sort=newest
http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F60616FD35590C768EDDAC0894DD494D81
Washington Weekly, January 30, 1995