By Dennis Welch | 3TV
He’s the state’s top election official, but Secretary of State Ken Bennett is on the payroll of a political activist who spent millions of dollars last year trying influence campaigns throughout the country.
Since taking office in 2009, Bennett has been paid tens of thousands of dollars by Richard Stephenson, a wealthy businessman and a key player for the political group, FreedomWorks.
Bennett, who had worked for his family owned oil business in the past, draws a monthly $2,000 salary for his work as a board member for the Cancer Treatment Centers of America, a for-profit company Stephenson started in the 1980s.
It’s unclear how much time he spends or what kind of work Bennett does for the hospital board, but the fact he’s moonlighting for someone who is so active in politics is drawing harsh criticism and accusations of a conflicts of interest.
But Bennett doesn’t see it that way.
