A Service of UA Little Rock
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Martha Shoffner Seeks Dismissal Of Corruption Charges

Martha Shoffner
Michael Hibblen
/
KUAR News

Former Arkansas treasurer Martha Shoffner is asking a federal judge to throw out corruption charges on which she is to be tried in a little over a week.

Shoffner faces trial March 3 on a 14-count extortion and bribery indictment, which accuses her of accepting $36,000 from a bond dealer in exchange for steering state business his way.

Shoffner asked Friday that the counts be thrown out on grounds that the allegations don't involve interstate commerce. Lawyers for Shoffner argue that to allow prosecution would "extend federal power beyond its proper bounds."

Shoffner faces another 10 counts of mail fraud for allegedly misspending $9,800 in campaign money, on which she is to be tried separately.

Shoffner was in her second term as treasurer last year when she was arrested.

The Associated Press is one of the largest and most trusted sources of independent newsgathering, supplying a steady stream of news to its members, international subscribers and commercial customers. AP is neither privately owned nor government-funded; instead, it's a not-for-profit news cooperative owned by its American newspaper and broadcast members.