Jeremy Hutchinson (politician)

Jeremy Young Hutchinson (born March 4, 1974) is a Republican politician and a former member of the Arkansas State Senate for District 33 in the capital city of Little Rock, Arkansas. He served in the Arkansas House of Representatives from two different districts in Pulaski County between 2000 and 2007 and as a state senator from 2011 to his resignation in 2018.[1]

Jeremy Hutchinson
Member of the Arkansas Senate
from the 33rd district
In office
2013 – August 31, 2018
Preceded byJoyce Elliott
Member of the Arkansas Senate
from the 22nd district
In office
January 10, 2011 – 2013
Preceded byShane Broadway
Succeeded byDavid Burnett
Member of the Arkansas House of Representatives
from the 31st district
In office
January 13, 2003 – January 2007
Preceded byCharles Ormond
Succeeded byDan Greenberg
Member of the Arkansas House of Representatives
from the 53rd district
In office
March 7, 2000 – January 13, 2003
Preceded byTed Thomas
Succeeded byDenny Sumpter
Personal details
Born (1974-03-04) March 4, 1974
Kansas City, Kansas
Political partyRepublican
RelationsTim Hutchinson (father)
Donna Hutchinson (mother)
Asa Hutchinson (uncle)
Kim Hendren (uncle)
Timothy Chad Hutchinson (twin brother)
Jim Hendren (cousin and state Senate colleague)
ChildrenThree children
ResidenceLittle Rock, Arkansas
Alma materUniversity of Arkansas, Little Rock
OccupationAttorney

Political career

Hutchinson was first elected to the Arkansas House in March 2000, as representative of Arkansas District 31, Pulaski County. At the time he was the youngest member of the Arkansas House. He was re-elected three times and served on the House Judiciary and Insurance and Commerce committees. He was the vice-chair of the Joint Energy Committee and the assistant minority leader from 2002 to 2004.

On August 4, 2009, Hutchinson announced his intent to run for the Arkansas State Senate from District 22, Pulaski County. On May 18, 2010, he defeated Dan Greenberg, son of the columnist Paul Greenberg, in the Republican primary, 58 to 42 percent. On November 2, 2010, Hutchinson defeated Democratic nominee Dawn Creekmore to claim the District 22 Senate seat. He was re-elected in 2013.

Jeremy Hutchinson was named to Arkansas Business' "40 under 40" in 2002. He served on the board of the Arkansas Council on Economic Education.[2] His biography states that in 2005, he was voted "Best Conservative" by readers of the Arkansas Times.

Conviction and Resignation

On August 31, 2018, the Department of Justice announced that Hutchinson was indicted by a federal grand jury on 12 wire and tax fraud charges.[3] Hutchinson resigned his office the same day.[4] He faces "eight counts of wire fraud for spending the campaign funds on personal expenses and falsifying campaign reports and four counts of filing false tax returns from 2011 to 2014."[5][6] On June 25, 2019, Hutchinson pleaded guilty to "accepting multiple bribes and tax fraud in connection with a multi-district investigation spanning the Western and Eastern Districts of Arkansas and the Western District of Missouri."[7]

Family and personal life

Hutchinson and his identical twin brother Timothy Chad Hutchinson are the sons of former U.S. Senator Tim Hutchinson and nephews of the Governor of Arkansas, Asa Hutchinson. Timothy Chad Hutchinson represented District 95, Benton County, from 2005 to 2011.

Hutchinson is a nephew by marriage of former state senator Kim Hendren of Gravette, Benton County.[8] Kim Hendren's son Jim Hendren, District 2 state senator from Benton County and the senate majority leader, is Hutchinson's cousin.

In 2006, Hutchinson's mother, Donna Jean King Hutchinson of Bella Vista, Arkansas, was elected to the state House from District 98 in Benton County. She served four two-year terms.

In 2013, Hutchinson participated in "active shooter" training and mistakenly shot a teacher with a rubber bullet who was confronting a so-called "bad guy". The experience gave Hutchinson "some pause" but failed to shake his confidence in the training plan.[9]

References
  1. "Ark. bill for bonds for $346M jobless debt passes". Bloomberg Businessweek. March 28, 2011. Archived from the original on October 26, 2012. Retrieved April 17, 2011.
  2. Biography of The Honorable Jeremy Hutchinson
  3. Arkansas State Senator Jeremy Hutchinson Indicted on Wire and Tax Fraud Charges
  4. Arkansas state senator Jeremy Hutchinson resigns after wire and tax fraud indictment
  5. Arkansas state senator Jeremy Hutchinson resigns after wire and tax fraud indictment
  6. State Sen. Jeremy Hutchinson to resign following federal indictment
  7. "Former Arkansas State Senator Jeremy Hutchinson Pleads Guilty To Bribery And Tax Fraud Charges In Multi-District Investigation".
  8. "Hendren announces bid for representative's seat, August 27, 2013". eagleobserver.com. Retrieved September 6, 2013.
  9. "School Districts Hope to Keep Security Licenses", Arkansas Democrat-Gazette August 28, 2013.
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