We’re also happy to dig up answers to reader questions. For example:

Q: Did you hear Dustin McDaniel’s radio ads on the Razorback football game? So he is going out of office and keeping his name prominent among the public while we pay the bill. Do we have to listen to them all year long? Of course he will say he is running the ad for the good of the people, sounds like a politician trying to keep his name relevant.

A: Attorney General Dustin McDaniel does more than advertise his office on Razorback radio broadcasts. He’s also purchased advertising space on the Razorback athletics website and on advertising vehicles of UCA, UAPB and ASU.

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Said his office:

It is a priority for us to make younger consumers aware of the resources available to them with our award-winning, nationally-recognized consumer education and awareness initiative, Got Your Back, Arkansas. We believe that advertising the Got Your Back, Arkansas website with college athletics is an effective way to reach that group, so we have purchased advertising this season with the U of A, ASU, UCA and UAPB. All four contracts are attached. The advertising is funded by consumer protection litigation proceeds.

We appreciate the question because we are glad for the opportunity to continue raising awareness of the program.

You may recall there’s been some controversy about the practice of the attorney general getting money set aside from various lawsuits in behalf of the state for his consumer protection division and other beneficiaries of his choice, such as a State Police facility. It became so controversial, in fact, after he made a $6,000 movie of himself to accompany a handout to the State Police, that he established a “policy” on spending the money. Football advertising apparently fits the policy.

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McDaniel has bought advertising in the following amounts to run through the end of this year, when his term ends.

U of A $170,000
UCA $20,000
UAPB $22,500
ASU $25,000

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WPS — Dustin!!

I guess the Razorbacks can’t exactly say they benefit from no public money whatsoever.

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PS — To be clear, the ads promote the consumer protection division program, not McDaniel by name.

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