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Swark TODAY

Wed December 13, 2023

By Press Release

Politics State

Sanders Administration Holds China Accountable

Act 636 Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders Foreign Businesses
Sanders Administration Holds China Accountable
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders’ Administration alerted Attorney General Tim Griffin’s office of two companies that may be in violation of Act 636, which prohibits foreign-party-controlled businesses from owning Arkansas land. “China is a hostile foreign adversary and under my administration, we will follow the law and not allow companies controlled by the Chinese Communist Party to buy up and exploit Arkansas land,” said Governor Sanders. As part of Secretary Wes Ward’s ongoing investigations, the Department of Agriculture discovered that two companies, Risever Machinery LLC in Craighead County and Jones Digital LLC near the City of DeWitt, may have significant ties to China. Jones Digital LLC may also have significant ownership interest in digital asset and crypto-mining operations in other parts of the state under different names.
In October, Governor Sanders became the first governor in the country to kick a Chinese state-owned company off American farmland. Her administration is forcing Syngenta to sell its land in Craighead County and received a $280,000 fine from the company. Secretary Ward’s letter on Risever Machinery LLC in Craighead County is below: Attorney General Griffin, During the 2023 Regular Session of the Arkansas General Assembly the state legislature passed Act 636 which amends the law concerning ownership and possession of real property; the law had an effective date of August 1, 2023.  Act 636 provides that a “prohibited foreign-party controlled business” shall not acquire by grant, purchase, devise, descent, or otherwise any interest in public or private land in this state.  In accordance with Act 636, the Arkansas Department of Agriculture is directed to collect and analyze information concerning the unlawful sale or possession of agricultural land by prohibited foreign parties and report violations to the Arkansas Attorney General. Since the passage of Act 636, one entity that has come to the attention of the Department is Risever Machinery LLC which has a facility in Craighead County.  A review of Risever Machinery LLC’s ownership indicates that the entity has significant ties to China. 
As of the date of this letter, China continues to be a country subject to the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) and is subject to the prohibitions of Act 636.  The Arkansas Department of Agriculture believes that Risever Machinery LLC may be operating in violation of Act 636.  As a result, we are reporting the potential violations to your office and requesting that you utilize the authority granted under A.C.A. 18-11-704(c)(2) to determine if a violation of Act 636 has in fact occurred, and if so, commence appropriate legal action.    Respectfully, Wesley W. Ward Secretary of Agriculture Secretary Ward’s letter on Jones Digital LLC near the City of DeWitt is below:
Attorney General Griffin, During the 2023 Regular Session of the Arkansas General Assembly the state legislature passed Act 636 which amends the law concerning ownership and possession of real property; the law had an effective date of August 1, 2023.  Act 636 provides that a “prohibited foreign-party controlled business” shall not acquire by grant, purchase, devise, descent, or otherwise any interest in public or private land in this state. In accordance with Act 636, the Arkansas Department of Agriculture is directed to collect and analyze information concerning the unlawful sale or possession of agricultural land by prohibited foreign parties and report violations to the Arkansas Attorney General.  Throughout the course of this year there have been a growing number of entities in the process of creating digital asset or crypto-mining operations across the state of Arkansas.  One of these facilities is located on agricultural land near the city of DeWitt and is operated by Jones Digital LLC. A review of Jones Digital’s ownership indicates that the entity may have significant ties to China.  Further, it is believed that the individuals or entities involved in the ownership of Jones Digital LLC may also have significant ownership interest in other digital asset or crypto-mining operations in other parts of the state under different names.  As of the date of this letter, China continues to be a country subject to the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) and is subject to the prohibitions of Act 636.   The Arkansas Department of Agriculture believes that Jones Digital LLC and potentially other similarly situated digital asset or crypto-mining operations may be operating in violation of Act 636.  As a result, we are reporting the potential violations to your office and requesting that you utilize the authority granted under A.C.A. 18-11-704(c)(2) to determine if a violation of Act 636 has in fact occurred, and if so, commence appropriate legal action.   
Respectfully, Wesley W. Ward Secretary of Agriculture
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