UPDATE - Senator Jeremy Hutchinson has resigned after being indicted on wire and tax fraud charges.
Dear Governor Hutchinson:
It has been a privilege to represent Senate District 33 in the Arkansas State and to serve the citizens of Arkansas in the Arkansas General Assembly. It has been the greatest honor of my life and I am so proud of the work we have done together during my tenure. Please accept this as notice of my resignation from the Arkansas Senate effective immediately. Thank you for your service to our great state.
Respectfully,
ORIGINAL - LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (KTHV) - The nephew of Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson and son of former Arkansas Senator Tim Hutchinson was indicted by a grand jury on wire and tax fraud charges.
Arkansas State Senator Jeremy Hutchinson is charged with scheming to steal thousands of dollars in campaign contributions for personal use and falsifying campaign finance reports and tax filings, according to a release from the U.S. Attorney's office of the Eastern District of Arkansas.
Hutchinson, 44, has been in elected politics since 2000 and a state senator since 2011. He faces 12 charges, including eight counts of wire fraud and four counts of filing false tax returns.
Hutchinson is scheduled to appear before US Magistrate Judge Patricia S. Harris at 10 a.m. on Sept. 18.
The wire fraud charges carry a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and $250,000 in fines per charge. Filing a false tax return carries a maximum sentence of three years in prison and $100,000 in fines each.
The indictment alleges that Hutchinson used campaign funds to pay for utilities, vacations, travel expenses, jewelry, clothing, retail, Netflix, gym membership fees and more using campaign funds. He is also accused of underreported around $71,000 in campaign funds. The indictment also contends that Hutchinson withdrew cash from campaign accounts.
Governor Asa Hutchinson released a statement on the indictment saying in part, “I just learned of the indictment against Sen. Jeremy Hutchinson for campaign expenditure and federal tax violations. This is a very sad day for everyone when a family member is charged. I have to look at this sad news as an uncle but also as a political leader in the state. As an uncle, my heart aches for Jeremy’s children and expanded family. This is a tough time, and it will not get any easier in the coming months. As a political leader, I know the United States Attorney always reminds the public that these charges are only allegations and he is presumed innocent, but the reality is that the charges alone undermine public confidence in our system of government. For that reason, Jeremy understands he needs to resign from the Senate, and I support that decision. He will need to devote his resources and energy in answering these allegations.”