PICKERING BUTLER By Bobby Harrison Daily Journal Jackson Bureau JACKSON – Long-time Madison Mayor Mary Hawkins Butler is challenging incumbent state Auditor Stacey Pickering in Tuesday’s Republican Party primary. In recent days, Butler, who has served as mayor of Madison for 34 years, has tried to take advantage of published reports of an alleged FBI investigation of Pickering’s personal use of funds he has raised to seek political office. Pickering has denied any wrongdoing and said he works with the FBI almost daily investigating reports of public corruption in the state and that no one in federal law enforcement has indicated he is the subject of an investigation. State law allows campaign contributions to be converted to personal use as long as federal and state taxes are paid on them.