Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin

Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin is the top law enforcement officer in the state, and he is ultimately responsible for safeguarding the lives and civil rights of the more than 3.5 million Arkansans who call The Natural State home.

After the ATF shot and killed 53-year-old airport executive Bryan Malinowski in his home during a botched SWAT raid, Griffin had questions about the ATF’s use of force, which Malinowski’s family and most everyone else said was excessive. Griffin publicly called on ATF to release the videos from their bodycams, stating “information from a camera helps fill the vacuum of conspiracy and all this other stuff.”

“Look, this is bizarre that there’s just been silence. I understand there’s a state investigation going on with it, but there’s nothing about this footage that should stop it from being released,” Griffin told the local media.

However, a story published last week revealed that ATF agents wore no bodycams March 19 during their fatal raid, and since then, Griffin – not unlike the ATF agents he called out for their lack of transparency – has gone silent about the killing. Now, Griffin lets his spokesman field questions about ATF’s raid.

The Second Amendment Foundation’s Investigative Journalism Project requested an interview with Griffin one week ago, but Griffin’s communication’s director, Jeff LeMaster, said this was not possible.

“The AG is not available for a phone or video-conference interview, but you are welcome to send us written questions that we will respond to,” LeMaster wrote in an email April 16.

Reluctantly, SAF sent Griffin 15 questions.

Elected officials prefer written questions far more than live interviews, because they can order their staff to research the answers. LeMaster admitted as much, telling SAF last week that he sent the written questions to several lawyers within the Attorney General’s Office. Written questions also make it more difficult to pose follow-up questions – a vital part of any interview – and they allow public officials to pick and choose only the questions they are willing to address. Unfortunately, that’s exactly what the Attorney General’s Office did.

Here are the questions SAF sent to Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin and the answers LeMaster sent back, which he said are attributable to him, not the Attorney General.

  1. Is the Attorney General aware Malinowski’s killing has become a national issue, especially among gun owners?

“Yes, and the Attorney General is deeply concerned. That’s why he was the first elected official to call on the ATF to turn over the bodycam footage.”

  1. If it is proven that the ATF agent who shot and killed Malinowski used excessive/improper force, will the Attorney General’s Office prosecute?

“The Office of Attorney General does not have original prosecutorial jurisdiction under Arkansas law.”

  1. If it is proven that the ATF agent who shot and killed Malinowski violated his civil rights will the Attorney General’s Office prosecute?

“The Office of Attorney General does not have original prosecutorial jurisdiction under Arkansas law. If it involves federal laws, that would be up to the U.S. Attorney to prosecute.”

  1. Has the Attorney General’s Office formally requested the bodycam footage and/or any documents from ATF?

“We have no information to provide on this.”

  1. Has the Attorney General’s Office reviewed ATF’s search warrant affidavit? If so, what is your impression of the allegations presented in the document?

“We have no information to provide on this.”

  1. Should less-lethal tactics have been used, such as contacting Malinowski at the airport, pulling him over, performing a callout at his home or simply waiting for him to answer the door?

“We have no information to provide on this.”

  1. Did ATF use excessive force during this raid?

“We have no information to provide on this.”

  1. Has the Attorney General’s Office been in contact with the Arkansas State Police Criminal Investigations Division, which is investigating Malinowski’s death?

“We have no information to provide on this.”

  1. Does the Attorney General believe Malinowski knew he was trading gunfire with federal agents, or is it more likely he believed he was defending himself and his wife from armed home invaders?

“We have no information to provide on this.”

  1. What is the Attorney General’s opinion of using a SWAT-type raid to investigate a process/licensing crime, such as failure to obtain a federal firearm license?

“We have no information to provide on this.”

  1. What does the Attorney General intend to do to protect Arkansans from federal agents using dangerous raid tactics such as those ATF used at Malinowski’s home?

“We have no information to provide on this.”

  1. Has the Attorney General considered asking the U.S. Attorney for a moratorium on federal raids until questions about ATF’s March 19 raid are answered?

“We have no information to provide on this.”

  1. What advice does the Attorney General have for federal agents who may be contemplating a similar raid at an Arkansan’s home?

“Federal law enforcement agencies have thorough policies governing their approach to serving warrants. Those policies should be followed.”

  1. What advice does the Attorney General have for Arkansans if they encounter an ATF SWAT team about to raid their home?

“Arkansans should cooperate with law enforcement to ensure the safety of all involved.”

  1. What was the Attorney General’s initial reaction when he learned an Arkansan with no criminal history was shot and killed in his home by ATF agents?

“Like a lot of Arkansans, the Attorney General had and still has many questions about the raid, and he looks forward to more information being published soon.”

Takeaways

Malinowski’s killing can be blamed on ATF’s leaders who are obsessed with flexing their SWAT teams and have never once cared about the sanctity of human life. Unfortunately, these leaders have demonstrated they are incapable of learning from past mistakes – Ruby Ridge, Waco, Fast & Furious and now Little Rock, to name a few.

Unless elected officials are willing to take a stand and hold ATF accountable, the raids will continue, the excessive force will continue and the killings won’t stop. Every law-abiding gun owner in the country is at risk, especially if they sell a gun.

 

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49 COMMENTS

  2. When confronted by BATFE agents, the proper response is to shoot, keep shooting, maybe shovel and shut up.

  4. “What advice does the Attorney General have for federal agents who may be contemplating a similar raid at an Arkansan’s home?

    “Federal law enforcement agencies have thorough policies governing their approach to serving warrants. Those policies should be followed.””

    And when those policies include taping over video camera lenses at locations they are performing their raid?

    • “And when those policies include taping over video camera lenses at locations they are performing their raid?”

      “We have no information to provide on this.”

      I’m old enough to become a non story to the alphabet media if this were to happen to me.

    • “And when those policies include taping over video camera lenses at locations they are performing their raid?”

      Use cameras that are more discrete and therefore harder for various flavors of thug to locate. Also, research “Roomba Claymore”.

      Whoops, I mean “We have no information to provide on this”.

  5. Sounds to me that–as I have come to expect–the AG is getting zero information from the ATF or the DOJ. That wall of silence will continue until forced open–if ever–by a federal court order.

    Which reminds me: the Tennessee school shooter’s journal/manifesto is being reviewed by a judge in response to a suit on the FOIA requests to see which parts are subject to disclosure.

    • Every fucking part is subject to disclosure! Not yelling at you Mark, just pissed at the blatant disregard for the law with our elected and unelected officials!

      • “[The courts are]… at one and the same time both the creator of law and a political weapon… Don’t tell me our criminal courts aught to act exclusively on the base of existing written norms… We are creating a new law and new ethical norms”.

        -Krylenko, Za Pyat Let

        • I naively beleived that this country was better than that.
          However moving from Californistan to Colorado to try and turn it red again has shown me the futility of pie in the sky dreams.

          One thing that I know for sure is when Dems get a majority anywhere they immediately show their tyranny.

          Shout out to Darkman
          If you are reading this, I didn’t fucking vote for it!

        • Welcome to Colorado.

          Note that many of the gun laws here are ignored outside the cities.

          Enjoy.

        • Nobody votes for tyranny, it is just the natural consequence of unopposed centralized power. Just remember it can always get worse and make your plans accordingly.

        • Given how uncomfortable the lefties get watching the somewhat watered down movies of 20 odd years ago…..yes I would say he was.

        • I always figured it was a warning not to get married, lest your wedding band turn you into Gollum.

  7. It may have occurred to this AG that the biden admin has a death squad available 24/7.

    He don’t want to be on that list.

    • Arkansas,
      All Garland has to do is give Clinton the nod and oopsies…Akansas AG commited sewer cide with 2 to the back of the head. Poor fella never seen the bullet come out his eyeball.

    • The more ruthless move is to put CP on his computer and then “catch him”.

      At that point he has a choice, die by his own hand or his family can join him during a raid.

        • The Dark Side has always had better snacks.

          Me, I use that against them. Go to the meeting, take some notes, swoop some snacks and GTFO laughing about having dark side-d the Dark Side.

  8. Far from a pathetic response, its exactly the response that should have been given.
    The Attorney General in many states isn’t the one to file charges, but the local county prosecuting attorney.

    SAF knows this. the “questions” they posed to the Arkansas AG are clickbait worthy “questions” that are outside the authority of the state AG or there is no way to know the answer. Especially:
    9. Does the Attorney General believe Malinowski knew he was trading gunfire with federal agents, or is it more likely he believed he was defending himself and his wife from armed home invaders?

    How the hell does anyone other than Malinowski know the answer? What the AG “believes” isn’t worthy of an answer.

    ATF screwed up. This search warrant didn’t need a swat team to kick in his door to search his home.

  9. I, for one, am shocked. Shocked I say!

    I feel a case of the vapors coming on and shall now retire to my fainting couch until I have properly recovered.

  10. I contacted Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley on this subject right after the news of the ATF thugs home invasion/homicide brok. Chuck has spend decades (too long) as a bedrock conservative in the Senate. The senior member of Judicary. Today I received his (BS) response which follows.

    Thank you for taking the time to contact me. As your senator, it is important that I hear from you.

    I appreciate hearing of your concern regarding Bill and Hillary Clinton Airport executive director Bryan Malinowski. The Arkansas State Police and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) indicated that Mr. Malinowski opened fire on law enforcement when they went to his house to execute a warrant. While charges had not been filed against Mr. Malinowski, law enforcement was executing this search warrant as part of an investigation into the illegal sale of firearms. Rest assured I will continue to follow developments regarding this incident closely.

    Thank you again for taking the time to contact me. Keep in touch.

    Sincerely,

    Chuck Grassley
    United States Senator

  11. Past mistakes like Ruby Ridge and Waco.
    Mistakes?
    It all went as planned except Randy Weaver survived. Is that the “mistakes” mentioned?

    • They needed someone alive for the show trial.

      But at Waco they thought dead defendants will stick to the script.

      • I don’t know about that. However a government run agency killing citizens who have done no other crime then selling an item do not deserve to be murdered.

        • “government run agency killing citizens who have done no other crime then selling an item“

          Selling an item?

          So selling heroin is OK?

          What about fen-phen? How about CP videos?

          If not, who decides?

        • Fen-phen was FDA approved.

          Multiple times, technically.

          And that’s after the maker warned them that heart damage could be as much as 10x more common than the FDA was claiming.

  12. you might want to install a mote around your home, complete with alligators. Of course you are required to have a curtilage (access to front door). However; there is no reason why said drawbridge can’t be rigged with a mechanism to dump uninvited vermin into the more. As an additional security measure, dispense napalm (smells best in the early morning) and ignight.

  13. Could it be that the ATF or the DOJ found the right leverage to shut him up? Just like every time ATF has murdered someone the only justice delivered has been when the victim delivered it before they were shot down.

    • The newest (and his predecessor) Speaker of the US House certainly reversed their years of principled Rep/Conservative politics when the DC “establishment” got the hooks into them.

  14. What does “original prosecutorial jurisdiction under Arkansas law.” mean?

    The state can’t charge unless the feds do first?

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