Martha Shoffner | |
---|---|
Arkansas State Treasurer | |
In office January 9, 2007 – May 21, 2013 [1] | |
Governor | Mike Bebee |
Preceded by | Gus Wingfield |
Succeeded by | Charles Robinson |
Member of the
Arkansas House of Representatives from the 79th district | |
In office 1997–2003 | |
Personal details | |
Born | 1944 or 1945 (age 78–79) [1] |
Political party | Democratic |
Residence(s) | Jackson County, Arkansas, U.S. |
Alma mater | Memphis State University Arkansas State University |
Profession | Real estate |
Martha Shoffner is the former state treasurer of Arkansas. A Democrat, she was first elected in 2006, [2] taking office in January 2007. She was re-elected in 2010. [3] [4]
Shoffner was born and raised in Jackson County. [2] Born to a farmer and a school teacher, she graduated from Newport High School and attended Memphis State University and Arkansas State University. She started working in advertising [2] and is also a licensed real estate agent.
Shoffner was elected to the Arkansas House of Representatives in 1996. [5]
After being term limited, she was an unsuccessful candidate for the Democratic nomination for the state auditor. [6] In 2005, Shoffner announced her candidacy for State Treasurer on the steps of the Jackson County Courthouse. After being outspent almost 3-to-1[ citation needed] Shoffner was elected to the office in 2006. [2]
On May 18, 2013, the FBI arrested Shoffner on a charge of extortion. [7] Following her release on bail, Shoffner resigned as Arkansas State Treasurer on May 21, 2013. [1]
She was subsequently indicted on June 5, 2013, by a Federal Grand Jury on six counts of extortion under color of official right, one count of attempted extortion under color of official right, and seven counts of receipt of a bribe by an agent of a state government receiving federal funds. [8] She was convicted of all counts on March 11, 2014, by a jury of seven women and five men. [9] On August 28, 2015, she was sentenced to two-and-a-half years in federal prison. [10]