Republican State Senator Jeremy Hutchinson (Little Rock) has been indicted by federal prosecutors for stealing campaign funds and diverting them for his personal use.
According to the Democrat-Gazette, the charges were filed by the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas on Friday.
Hutchinson, a member of the powerful Arkansas political family that includes his uncle, President Trump-supporting Gov. Asa Hutchinson (R), and his father, former U.S. Senator Tim Hutchinson (R), has been charged with eight counts of wire fraud and four counts of filing false tax returns.
According to Assistant Attorney General Brian Benczkowski, "Jeremy Hutchinson allegedly diverted contributions from his Arkansas State Senate campaigns to pay for an array of personal expenses.”
Benczkowski added, "The charges, in this case, demonstrate the commitment of the Department and our law enforcement partners to investigate and prosecute those involved in alleged campaign-related misconduct.”
Counts one through eight of the indictment allege Hutchinson committed wire fraud related to falsified state campaign finance reports along with soliciting campaign donors with intent to defraud. Counts nine through 12 charge Hutchinson with tax fraud for allegedly filing false tax returns from 2011 to 2014.
“This indictment by the grand jury represents serious charges, and we look forward to preparing our case and presenting it to a jury of 12 people who we trust to do justice in this matter,” said U.S. Attorney Cody Hiland, adding the FBI and IRS were involved in the investigation.
The report states that the lawmaker -- who has held his seat since 2000 -- has been given a Sept. 18 court date.
