J. Chris Newton

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J. Chris Newton
Newton being filmed unknowingly as part of Operation Tennessee Waltz
Member of the Tennessee House of Representatives
from the 22nd district
Succeeded byEric Watson
Personal details
Born (1970-11-09) November 9, 1970 (age 53)
NationalityAmerican
Political partyRepublican
ResidenceTurtletown, Tennessee[1]
Alma materUniversity of Tennessee at Chattanooga (B.Sc.)

J. Chris Newton (born November 9, 1970) is an American politician who served as a member of the Tennessee House of Representatives. A Republican, he represented the 22nd district, which includes Meigs, Polk, and parts of Bradley counties. He resigned in 2005 after being charged in Operation Tennessee Waltz.

Background[edit]

J. Chris Newton was born on November 9, 1970. He received a Bachelor of Science in political science from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. He worked as a sales manager.[2]

Newton was first elected in 1994, taking office the following January as part of the 99th General Assembly.[2] In May 2005, Newton, along with several fellow lawmakers, was arrested and charged with bribery in the Operation Tennessee Waltz scandal.[3]

He announced his resignation on September 1, 2005 under pressure from the state Republican Party,[4] and on February 22, 2006, was sentenced to one year in prison.[5] He served nine months in the minimum security prison camp at the United States Penitentiary in Atlanta.[6] He was the only Republican charged in the operation.[7]

As of 2015, Newton was reported to be working as a businessman in the Cleveland area.[7]

Personal life[edit]

Newton was married to Ginger Newton. As of August 2019, he is married to Brittany Sorayah (Kubba) Newton[2] He is a Baptist.[1]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b "J. Chris Newton". capitol.tn.gov. Tennessee General Assembly. Retrieved 2020-07-14.
  2. ^ a b c "J.Chris Newton". legislature.state.tn.us. Tennessee General Assembly. Archived from the original on 1997-07-21. Retrieved 14 July 2020.
  3. ^ Emery, Theo (January 11, 2006). "Tennessee Takes Up an Overhaul of Ethics Rules". The New York Times. Retrieved 14 July 2020.
  4. ^ "Chris Newton Moves Up Resignation". Chattanoogan.com. September 1, 2005.
  5. ^ "Newton sentenced in Tennessee Waltz case". WMC-TV. February 22, 2006. Retrieved 14 July 2020.
  6. ^ "TN Waltz defendant Chris Newton out of jail and living in halfway house". WMC-TV. January 26, 2007. Retrieved 14 July 2020.
  7. ^ a b "Tennessee Waltz scandal: Where are they now?". The Tennessean. May 25, 2015. Retrieved 14 July 2020.