Arkansas Republicans question Chris Jones’ financial disclosures, $16,000 in payments. (PHOTO: Autumn Foltz/KATV)
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (KATV) —Arkansas Republicans raised new questions Wednesday about Democratic congressional candidate Chris Jones’ financial disclosures, alleging he filed one report late, failed to file another and did not disclose $16,000 in payments from a political action committee he co-founded.
The Republican Party of Arkansas filed a complaint with the Department of Justice last month over Jones’ missing financial disclosure. At a Wednesday news conference in Little Rock, attorney Bud Cummins presented findings from his review of public records for the party.
“There’s three distinct issues reflected in the public records,” Cummins said.
Cummins estimated that Jones’ first financial disclosure was due in August 2025. Jones filed it Feb. 10, 2026, according to the party’s review.
That report listed “N/A” for 2025 income from Vortex PAC, a political action committee Jones co-founded. For 2024, Jones disclosed $49,000 in income from the PAC, matching the committee’s reported payments.
Cummins said the records did not match for 2025, when Vortex PAC reported four payments to Jones of $4,000 each.
“Vortex PAC reported to the Federal Election Commission that it paid Chris Jones $16,000 during 2025,” Cummins said.
A second disclosure was originally due May 15. Jones requested a 90-day extension, moving the deadline to Aug. 13. Cummins said his review of the House clerk’s public database through Oct. 12 did not locate that report.
Republican Party spokesman Isaac Foley previously questioned why the report remained unavailable.
“The real question we’re asking is why, why, why not share the report? Why not file the report?” Foley said.
Jones previously accepted responsibility for missing the deadline, saying the death of a close friend had left his family grieving.
In an interview last week, Democratic Party of Arkansas Chairman Marcus Jones said the filing was being completed.
“They’re processing it, getting it submitted, and he’ll be in compliance,” Marcus Jones said.
Financial disclosures give voters information about candidates’ financial interests and help identify potential conflicts of interest. Cummins said he was not drawing conclusions about Chris Jones’ intentions.
“I’m not assigning any motive to the facts that I’ve related to you,” Cummins said.
Marcus Jones questioned Republicans’ focus on the issue as the race for Arkansas’ 2nd Congressional District continues.
“They’re just trying to distract Arkansans from what the real issues are,” he said.
The Democratic Party’s comments preceded Wednesday’s new allegations about the $16,000.
Following the news conference, Jones’ campaign manager, Kimberly Eddings, sent KATV the following statement:
The Republican Party of Arkansas is grasping at straws to distract from Hill’s record. So let’s set the record straight. Before running for Congress, Chris did paid political consulting work, and every dollar is documented in public filings. The difference in his 2025 disclosure reflects estimates that differed from the final amounts. His 2026 filing was delayed following the death of a close friend. Chris takes responsibility for the delay, is filing his disclosure today, and has already submitted payment for the late fee. He is addressing the issue and being transparent about his finances. Meanwhile, here’s what Republicans aren’t talking about: diesel topping $6 a gallon, Arkansas leading the nation in farm bankruptcies last year, inflation hitting a high of 3.7%, and more than 200,000 Arkansans facing uncertainty about their health coverage after December because of legislation French Hill championed. Chris Jones is focused on the real challenges facing Arkansas families. The Republican Party is focused on defending French Hill.
With early voting in Arkansas beginning Monday, Republicans are asking federal authorities to review the matter promptly.
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