Former Arkansas legislator Henry Wilkins IV pleaded guilty Monday to accepting over $80,000 in bribes from lobbyists to vote for specific bills, the U.S. Department of Justice said.
Wilkins, 64, of Pine Bluff, Arkansas served as a Democrat in both the Arkansas House and Senate between 1999 and 2015. He pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit offenses against the United States.
As part of his guilty plea, Wilkins admitted that from 2010 to 2014, he accepted bribes from lobbyists and non-profit organizations In exchange for the cash, Wilkins said he fixed shell bills, sponsored full bills and voted for legislation, according to court records
About $245,000 from Arkansas’ General Improvement funds were steered towards entities that funneled bribes to Wilkins through his church, the Justice Department said.
Public corruption destroys the trust that is necessary for our republic,” said U.S. Attorney Cody Hiland for the Eastern District of Arkansas in a statement. “In this case, the citizens of Arkansas were betrayed by Mr. Wilkins, and elected officials who abuse their position for personal gain must be held accountable for that violation of the public trust.”
The FBI investigated the case, which was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorneys for the Eastern and Western districts of Arkansas.
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