A federal district judge has issued a declaratory judgment and permanent injunction in the case of Greene v. Griffin, ruling that the Arkansas Ethics Commission’s requirement to include at least one member of a minority race is unconstitutional. The court determined that this stipulation constituted a racial quota and violated the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment.
Attorney General Tim Griffin commented on the decision, stating: “The United States District Court for the Eastern District of Arkansas today has righted a wrong that for too long allowed discrimination to be enshrined in state statute. The court has issued a permanent injunction, declaring that the requirement that the Arkansas Ethics Commission must include at least one member of a minority race is an unconstitutional racial quota that violates the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. The court’s ruling follows a joint motion that I filed yesterday with the plaintiff in this case asking for the injunction.”
Griffin further explained his stance from last summer: “I first noted my objection to this blatantly unconstitutional requirement enshrined in state law last summer when I refused to make an appointment to the Arkansas Ethics Commission based on the color of an appointee’s skin. Appointments to government boards and commissions should be based on one’s qualifications, not meeting racial quotas. With this injunction now in place, Arkansans of all races will be given fair and equal consideration for appointment.”
The Office of the Arkansas Attorney General is headquartered in Little Rock and provides legal support across Arkansas through various divisions focused on consumer protection, civil litigation, criminal matters, public safety initiatives, fraud reporting resources, legal opinions, and community education programs (official website, official website). Tim Griffin has served as Attorney General since January 2023 (official website).
Griffin’s background includes previous roles as Lieutenant Governor and U.S. Representative for Arkansas’s Second Congressional District. He also serves as an officer in the Arkansas Army National Guard with over 28 years’ military experience.
For more information about services provided by the Attorney General’s office—including consumer protection, legal assistance statewide, and support for public integrity—visit their official website.
