Attorney General-elect Tim Griffin on Thursday announced that Little Rock interim police chief Wayne Bewley will be the incoming chief of investigations for the attorney general's special investigation division, and Governor-elect Sarah Huckabee Sanders announced four more senior staff members in the governor's office.
Griffin announced Bewley's appointment a day after Little Rock Mayor Frank Scott Jr. said Bewley had accepted another job, and would step down as interim police chief Saturday and retire at the end of the year.
Griffin said Bewley will be paid a salary of a $125,000 year in the attorney general's office.
He said "Chief Bewley is a man of character and integrity who is highly regarded around the city, state and nation.
"He brings professionalism and a wealth of law enforcement experience -- over 34 years as a police officer, investigator, manager and leader," Griffin said in a news release. He said he's honored and excited that Bewley is joining his team.
Bewley joined the Little Rock Police Department in 1986 as a cadet and became an officer in 1988, according to Griffin's news release.
Griffin, a Little Rock Republican, will be sworn in as the state's attorney general Jan. 10 and succeed Leslie Rutledge, who has served as attorney general since 2015. Rutledge, a Maumelle Republican, will be sworn in as the state's lieutenant governor Jan. 10 and assume a post that Griffin has held since 2015.
Sanders, a Little Rock Republican, will succeed Republican Gov. Asa Hutchinson and be sworn in Jan. 10. She is the daughter of former GOP Gov. Mike Huckabee and is a former White House press secretary for President Donald Trump, who has announced he's running for president in 2024. Hutchinson has been governor since 2015 and has said he's considering running for president in 2024.
Sanders said Thursday in a news release that she is pleased to announce that four talented Arkansans and public servants will join the other members of "my senior team to help advance an agenda focused on freedom and empowerment."
The four additional senior staff members are:
• Legislative Director Jamie Barker, who serves in the same capacity in Sanders' transition office and served as political director on Sanders' campaign. He has worked on campaigns for U.S. Sen. Tom Cotton, Hutchinson and Mike Huckabee's 2016 presidential campaign. He is a former political director for the Republican Party of Arkansas and a former political consultant with JCD Consulting. He is a son of Rep. Sonia Eubanks Barker, R-Smackover.
• Director of Cabinet Affairs Leslie Fisken, who has served as chief of legislative affairs for the Arkansas Department of Parks, Heritage and Tourism. She also worked in governmental relations at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences and as an education policy adviser to Hutchinson. She is a former member of the Little Rock School Board.
• Director of Boards and Commissions Alex Flemister, who is serving in the same capacity in Sanders' transition office and served as director of operations for Sanders' campaign. Before joining the campaign, he served as associate director for the White House Office of Public Liaison under President Trump where he was the liaison for the business, veteran and AAPI communities.
• Policy Director Jack Sisson, who currently serves as the policy director in the transition office and served as policy adviser on Sanders' campaign. He is a public affairs professional and consultant with more than 15 years of experience at the state and federal levels. He has served as health policy adviser to U.S. Sen. John Boozman of Rogers and an aide to then-U.S. Sen. Sam Brownback of Kansas. He also worked as an adviser to former Huckabee and U.S. Rep. French Hill of Little Rock.
Sanders spokesman Judd Deere said Thursday the salaries for these four staff members in the governor's office haven't been determined yet.
Sanders announced Tuesday the appointment of four other senior staff members. They include Deere as deputy chief of staff, Kelly Eichler as deputy chief of staff, Andrew "Vu" Ritchie as chief legal counsel and Jordon Powell as director of public affairs.
Last week, Sanders announced Gretchen Conger, who served as senior policy adviser to Sanders' gubernatorial campaign and works as deputy director for the governor-elect's transition team, will be her chief of staff. Campaign manager Chris Caldwell will be a senior adviser to Sanders' re-election campaign in 2026, and she will shift $2.5 million from her 2022 campaign to her reelection effort.
Prior to coming to Arkansas, Conger worked for Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey, first as his legislative director and then as deputy chief of staff.
Most of the gubernatorial staffers Sanders has announced were employed by her campaign.