Jake Files

{{Infobox officeholder

| name = Jake C. Files

| image =

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1972|3|27}}

| birth_place = Norman, Oklahoma, U.S.

| residence = Fort Smith
Sebastian County
Arkansas

| death_date =

| death_place =

| death_cause =

| resting_place =

| state_senate = Arkansas

| district = 8th

| term_start = January 2013

| term_end = February 9, 2018

| preceded = Cecile Bledsoe

| succeeded = Frank Glidewell

| state_senate2 = Arkansas

| district2 = 13th

| term_start2 = 2011

| term_end2 = 2013

| preceded2 =

| succeeded2 = Alan Clark

| state_house3 = Arkansas

| district3 = 12th

| term_start3 = January 1999

| term_end3 = January 2003

| preceded3 =

| succeeded3 =

| party = Republican

| alma_mater = Ouachita Baptist University

Arkansas State University

| occupation = Businessman

| spouse = Michaela Mitchell Files

| children = Kate, Liz, and Bella Files

| footnotes =

}}

Jake C. Files (born March 27, 1972) is a Republican politician from Fort Smith, Arkansas. Files represented portions of the Arkansas River Valley in the Arkansas House of Representatives from 1999 to 2003, and in the Arkansas Senate from 2011 to 2018.

He pleaded guilty in 2018 to wire fraud, bank fraud and money laundering relating to misuse of the state's surplus money and was sentenced to 18 months in prison.

Background

A native of Norman, Oklahoma, Files graduated cum laude with a bachelor's degree in accounting from Arkansas State University in Jonesboro. Previously, he attended Ouachita Baptist University in Arkadelphia. He owns FFH Construction, a general construction firm. From 1997 to 2004, he was the president and superintendent of the Fort Smith Christian School. Prior to that, he was hired to help start operations of the Baldor Electric Company plant in Ozark, Arkansas, as the accountant and materials manager. He and his wife, the former Michaela K. Mitchell (born 1977), have four children. The senator coaches Little League baseball and basketball.

Political life

From 1999 to 2003, he represented District 12 in the Arkansas House of Representatives. Files was first elected to the State Senate in 2010 in District 13.{{cite web|url=http://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/assembly/2011/Member%20Profiles/Jake%20Files.pdf|title=Jake Files|publisher=arkleg.state.ar.us|accessdate=November 29, 2013}} His district number was switched through redistricting from District 13 to District 8, effective January 2013. His district boundaries changed to include most of the cities of Greenwood and Hackett.{{cite web|url=http://votesmart.org/candidate/biography/16268/jake-files#.UplRqBXnYfQ|title=Jake Files' Biography|publisher=votesmart.org|accessdate=November 29, 2013}} He served on Senate committees for Revenue & Taxation, Transportation, Technology, Legislative Affairs, Joint Budget, and Senate Efficiency. He was also a member of the Joint (House and Senate) Legislative Committee on Auditing. He was chairman of the Revenue and Taxation Committee.{{Citation needed|date=December 2024}}

Fraud scandal

In early 2017, Files was accused of submitting false bids for the River Valley Sports Complex, a planned park of softball fields at Chaffee Crossing in Fort Smith. Though initially denying the charges,{{cite news|last1=Jordan|first1=Kate|title=State Senator: Claims Of False Bids For Fort Smith Complex Aren't True|url=http://5newsonline.com/2017/02/20/state-senator-claims-of-false-bids-for-fort-smith-complex-arent-true/ |accessdate=1 March 2017|publisher=KFSM|date=February 20, 2017}} Files pleaded guilty to wire fraud, bank fraud and money laundering in the United States District Court for the Western District of Arkansas in January 2018.{{ cite web |first= Dave |last= Hughes |title= Arkansas lawmaker pleads guilty to wire fraud, money laundering; governor says senator to resign soon |url= http://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2018/jan/29/arkansas-lawmaker-pleads-guilty-wire-fraud-money-l/?breaking |publisher= Arkansas Democrat-Gazette |date= January 29, 2018 |accessdate= January 30, 2018 }} He resigned his senate seat in February.

=Plea=

The plea agreement says Files and Lee Webb, a member of the Sebastian County Election Commission, convinced the City of Fort Smith to appropriate $1.6 million for the project in 2014. Files then created three fictitious companies to bid for the project. He later proposed steering $150,000 of public funds from the state's General Improvement Fund (GIF) to the project.{{cite news|last1=Hammersly|first1=Lisa|title=In dark on bids Arkansas senator submitted, companies say|url=http://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2017/feb/19/in-dark-on-bids-files-submitted-compani/?latest|accessdate=20 February 2017|publisher=Arkansas Democrat-Gazette|date=19 February 2017}} Files had control over the funds, and was chairman of the Senate Revenue and Taxation Committee. He pleaded guilty, and was sentenced to 18 months in prison and ordered to pay $83,900 in restitution.{{cite news|url=https://talkbusiness.net/2018/06/former-sen-jake-files-sentenced-to-18-months-in-prison-judge-calls-violations-egregious/|title=Former Sen. Jake Files sentenced to 18 months in prison, judge calls violations 'egregious' (Updated)|author=Michael Tilley|date=June 18, 2018|work=Talk Business & Politics}}

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