President Trump pardons former Arkansas lawmaker who pleaded guilty to accepting bribes from Springfield company

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. (KY3) - President Trump pardoned former Arkansas state senator Jeremy Hutchinson, who was sentenced to four years and two months in prison for accepting multiple bribes from a Springfield, Mo., company.

A judge sentenced Jeremy Hutchinson, 48, of Little Rock, in April 2023, for his conviction on a charge of conspiracy to commit federal program bribery. He pleaded guilty to the charge.

According to federal prosecutors, Hutchinson admitted that as a senator, he was hired as outside counsel for Preferred Family Healthcare Inc., and in exchange, took action in the Arkansas Legislature to help the Springfield, Missouri-based nonprofit. Hutchinson admitted to holding up agency budgets, initiating legislative audits, and sponsoring and voting for legislation that would help Preferred Family, according to his plea agreement. Hutchinson was paid more than $350,000 in charity funds between May 2014 and 2017 and also received hotel rooms and Major League Baseball tickets, which were paid for by the nonprofit.

In 2022, Preferred Family Healthcare agreed to pay more than $8 million in forfeiture and restitution to the federal government and the state of Arkansas under the terms of a non-prosecution agreement, in which the company admitted to criminal conduct by former officers and employees, according to prosecutors.

Hutchinson is the son of former U.S. Sen. Tim Hutchinson of Arkansas and is the nephew of former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson.

President Trump pardoned several former lawmakers and celebrities who were in prison.

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