I was honored to spend some time this morning in Fordyce visiting with family members of the victims of the June 21 mass shooting, as well as law enforcement officials and community leaders. It was encouraging to see The Mad Butcher, the grocery store that was the site of the shooting, reopen this morning.
While the community and all of Arkansas is still hurting and grieving from this unspeakable tragedy, the reopening of this store is an important step in the healing process. The Mad Butcher isn’t just a place where people get groceries; it’s a community crossroads, where neighbors, friends, and family members connect and interact.
My prayers continue to be with the victims’ families and all in Fordyce who are still processing the senseless act of evil that occurred there.
@TikTok’s motion to dismiss my lawsuit against it under the Arkansas Deceptive Trade Practices Act. This marks the third time this year that a lawsuit I have brought against a social media platform has cleared this important legal hurdle. Arkansas is leading the way in holding social media platforms accountable. I will continue to stand up for Arkansans and ensure TikTok keeps our private information out of the hands of the Chinese government. https://tinyurl.com/4r3wtyt3
Griffin: ‘I will continue to stand up for Arkansans and ensure TikTok keeps our private information out of the hands of the Chinese government’
LITTLE ROCK – Attorney General Tim Griffin today issued the following statement after the Union County Circuit Court denied a motion by TikTok and its parent company, ByteDance, to dismiss Griffin’s lawsuit against the social media platform:
“I applaud the court’s decision to allow our lawsuit against TikTok and ByteDance to proceed. This marks the third time this year that a lawsuit I have brought against a social media platform has cleared this important legal hurdle.
“TikTok argued that the court did not have personal jurisdiction over the defendants in this case, that our claims under the Arkansas Deceptive Trade Practices Act should fail, and that the claims are preempted. The court rightfully rejected all three arguments.
“Arkansas is leading the way in holding social media platforms accountable for how they represent themselves to customers and the type of content and algorithms they contain. I will continue to stand up for Arkansans and ensure TikTok keeps our private information out of the hands of the Chinese government.”
To read a copy of the court’s decision, click here.
For a printer-friendly version of this release, click here.
About Attorney General Tim Griffin
Tim Griffin was sworn in as the 57th Attorney General of Arkansas on January 10, 2023, having previously served as the state’s 20th Lieutenant Governor from 2015-2023. From 2011-2015, Griffin served as the 24th representative of Arkansas’s Second Congressional District, where he served on the House Committee on Ways and Means, House Armed Services Committee, House Committee on Foreign Affairs, House Committee on Ethics and House Committee on the Judiciary while also serving as a Deputy Whip for the Majority.
Griffin has served as an officer in the U.S. Army Reserve Judge Advocate General’s (JAG) Corps for more than 28 years and currently holds the rank of colonel. In 2005, Griffin was mobilized to active duty as an Army prosecutor at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, and served with the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) in Mosul, Iraq.
He is currently serving as the Commander of the 2d Legal Operations Detachment in New Orleans, Louisiana. His previous assignments include serving as the Commander of the 134th Legal Operations Detachment at Fort Liberty (née Bragg), North Carolina, and as a Senior Legislative Advisor to the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness at the Pentagon. Griffin earned a master’s degree in strategic studies as a Distinguished Honor Graduate from the U.S. Army War College, Carlisle Barracks, Pennsylvania.
Griffin also served as U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, and Special Assistant to the President and Deputy Director of Political Affairs for President George W. Bush; Special Assistant to Assistant Attorney General Michael Chertoff, Criminal Division, U.S. Department of Justice; Special Assistant U.S. Attorney, U.S. Attorney’s Office, Eastern District of Arkansas; Senior Investigative Counsel, Government Reform and Oversight Committee, U.S. House of Representatives; and Associate Independent Counsel, Office of Independent Counsel David M. Barrett, In re: HUD Secretary Henry Cisneros.
Griffin is a graduate of Magnolia High School, Hendrix College in Conway, and Tulane Law School in New Orleans. He attended graduate school at Oxford University. He is admitted to practice law in Arkansas (active) and Louisiana (inactive). Griffin lives in Little Rock with his wife, Elizabeth, a Camden native, and their three children.
I am deeply saddened to learn that former State Sen. @xjelliott has suffered a stroke. Despite our political differences, I have great respect for her passion as a public servant and her many years of service as a teacher. I ask you to join me in praying for her speedy and complete recovery. #arnews #arleg
Griffin: ‘[S]cammers attempt to … trick consumers into handing over funds by impersonating a state toll service’
LITTLE ROCK – Attorney General Tim Griffin issued the following statement alerting consumers to a scam that has recently made its way to Arkansas:
“A new texting scam has reached Arkansas. Under this ‘smishing’ scam—a combination of ‘SMS’ (texts) and ‘phishing’—scammers attempt to steal consumers’ personal information and trick consumers into handing over funds by impersonating a state toll service.
“While Arkansas does not have toll roads, summer means that many Arkansans may be traveling to states that do impose tolls on certain roads. Because of heightened summer travel, the scam that has previously limited its targets to consumers in toll-road states has also traveled, expanding into states without toll roads, including Arkansas.
“If you get one of these texts, please fill out the robocall reporting form on my website, and do not send payment to any entity that only contacts you via text.”
(State Toll Service Name): We’ve noticed an outstanding toll amount of $12.51 on your record. To avoid a late fee of $50.00, visit (fraudulent website link) to settle your balance.
Below are some tips to recognize scams and keep yourself safe if you receive a text message purporting to be from a state toll service:
Do not click on the link.
Delete the text message and report it as junk.
If you have reason to believe the message may be legitimate, contact the state’s tolling agency. Be sure to use a phone number or website that you know is legitimate and not the information in the text message.
If you did click any link, take steps to protect your personal information. Change your passwords, monitor your financial accounts, and dispute any unfamiliar charges.
For more information or to file a Consumer Complaint, please contact the Office of Attorney General at (501) 682-2007 or [email protected], or visit the website www.ArkansasAG.gov.
To download a PDF of this Consumer Alert, click here.
Griffin: ‘This decision is a win for our citizens and sends a message that the rule of law governs in Arkansas’
LITTLE ROCK – Attorney General Tim Griffin today issued the following statement regarding the denial by the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit of en banc review of its previous decision in the case Arkansas State Conference NAACP v. Arkansas Board of Apportionment:
“Today’s decision denying the NAACP and ACLU’s petition for en banc review of the court’s November ruling reaffirms that only the United States may bring a claim under Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act.
“Arkansas’s redistricting process is done by Arkansans elected by their fellow Arkansans. This decision is a win for our citizens and sends a message that the rule of law governs in Arkansas. “It is important to remember that even the Biden administration declined to side with the claims of the ACLU and NAACP in this suit. I thank Solicitor General Nicholas Bronni and Senior Assistant Solicitor General Asher Steinberg for their outstanding work on this matter.”
