News/Events

Says, ‘I want to thank our veterans and their families for their service, commitment and sacrifice’

Arkansas Attorney General Leslie Rutledge today released the following statement in recognition of Veterans for their service to the United States.

“America is the land of the free because of the brave men and women who for centuries have honorably served our country in war and peacetime,” said Attorney General Rutledge. “Arkansas is home to 219,000 veterans. Today and always I want to thank our veterans and their families for their service, commitment and sacrifice to ensuring the United States has the greatest military ever seen in the world.”

U.S. Department of Justice’s Remedy to Expand 5G Network in Arkansas

LITTLE ROCK – Arkansas Attorney General Leslie Rutledge today announced joining the multistate settlement that approves the merger between T-Mobile and Sprint. Arkansas joins the U.S. Department of Justice and eight other states in the settlement that will make Dish Network Corp. the fourth nationwide provider of retail mobile wireless services. In addition to protecting competition, the proposed settlement will expedite the availability of high-quality 5G networks for Arkansas consumers.

“Arkansans deserve to have a level playing field when paying for affordable and reliable access to internet and cell phone services,” said Attorney General Rutledge. “This agreement will help connect customers in rural parts of our State to 5G networks which will boost education and economic opportunities while safeguarding the industry from anticompetitive practices.”

The U.S. Department of Justice Antitrust Division along with nine states sued to block the transaction between T-Mobile and Sprint earlier this year and have agreed to settle the lawsuit based on the proposed settlement. If approved by the court, the settlement would resolve the Justice Department’s and the co-plaintiff states’ competitive concerns.

Under the terms of the proposed settlement, T-Mobile and Sprint must divest Sprint’s prepaid business, including Boost Mobile, Virgin Mobile and Sprint prepaid, to Dish. The proposed settlement also provides for the divestiture of certain spectrum assets to Dish. Additionally, T-Mobile and Sprint must make available to Dish at least 20,000 cell sites and hundreds of retail locations. T-Mobile must also provide Dish with robust access to the T-Mobile network for a period of seven years while Dish builds out its own 5G network.

Arkansas joins Colorado, Florida, Kansas, Louisiana, Nebraska, Ohio, Oklahoma and South Dakota in this proposed settlement.

LITTLE ROCK – Arkansas Attorney General Leslie Rutledge released the following statement after the U.S. Senate confirmed the judicial nomination of Lee Rudofsky to the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Arkansas.

“As the Solicitor General in my office, Lee demonstrated daily his legal acumen, intellect, adherence to the original intent of the law, integrity and impartiality,” said Attorney General Rutledge. “I am confident he will be a fair and impartial jurist who will serve the people and our great nation well as a federal judge.”

In 2015, Rudofsky was hired by Attorney General Rutledge to be the first official Solicitor General in the Attorney General’s Office. In that role, he advised Attorney General Rutledge on several key proceedings, including defending the State’s decision to successfully terminate Medicaid program funding to Planned Parenthood. He organized a multistate, bipartisan and multimillion dollar lawsuit in the U.S. Supreme Court against the State of Delaware. He also successfully led litigation allowing the execution of convicted murderers by lethal injection. Rudofsky also implemented the office’s formal moot court program to prepare the State’s attorneys for argument and established a clear review process for appellate briefs written by other departments.