Lawmaker nephew of Arkansas governor charged with wire fraud
By ANDREW DeMILLO - Associated Press - Friday, August 31, 2018
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) - An Arkansas state senator who is a nephew of the governor has been charged with spending thousands of dollars in campaign funds on personal expenses, including a Caribbean cruise, tuition payments and groceries.
Federal prosecutors on Friday announced that Republican state Sen. Jeremy Hutchinson is charged with eight counts of wire fraud and four counts of filing false tax returns. They allege that he tried to hide the theft by falsifying campaign finance reports and tax filings.
Hutchinson, who is a nephew of Republican Gov. Asa Hutchinson, is scheduled to appear in court on September 18. He didn’t immediately reply to a Friday phone message seeking comment.
Hutchinson is the latest in a string of Arkansas legislators to face accusations of corruption. None of the others are still serving in the Legislature.