Thursday, a group of Arkansas lawmakers approved an audit over the purchase of a $19,029 podium by the office of Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders.The Executive Committee of the Legislative Joint Auditing Committee approved the audit. The full committee will vote Friday morning if it will go forward.The audit would be conducted by independent auditors who work at the direction of the state legislature.If the full committee approves, the auditors would examine three things:1) Were any laws broken when the podium was purchased?The podium was purchased with a state credit card in June from Beckett Events LLC. The $19,029 was a significantly higher price than other lecterns whose prices were listed online, according to the Associated Press. In September, a blogger discovered the purchase and wrote about it.The Republican Party of Arkansas responded by reimbursing the state the full purchase amount.Sanders told 40/29 News that the reimbursement should take care of people’s concerns.”People want to manufacture a controversy where there isn’t one,” she said. “This is something where the state’s been reimbursed for and I think there’s some people that are going to always be angry, always looking to complain about and that’s what they’re picking right now.”The audit will also investigate allegations that public records related to the podium purchase were altered illegally. Tom Mars, an attorney in Rogers, wrote a letter to a lawmaker claiming an anonymous witness has evidence that the governor’s office altered non-exempt FOIA documents, withholding other documents and removing portions of emails that were subject to public records requests.The Associated Press reported last week that Sanders’ executive assistant, Laura Hamilton, added the words “to be reimbursed” to the original invoice. An email written by a different state employee indicated that someone told Hamilton to add those words, but to not indicate when they were written.2) What else was purchased during the new FOIA “blackout period”?A new Arkansas law restricts from public view many public records and is retroactive to June 1, 2022.The subcommittee wants the auditors to closely examine the expenditure records that were hidden under the new law.The public first learned about the podium purchase in September from Arkansas blogger Matthew Campbell.That same month he filed a lawsuit against Arkansas State Police, claiming they illegally withheld public records he had requested on Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders’ travel costs. Sanders responded by asking state lawmakers to exempt more records from Arkansas’ Freedom of Information Act.A version of the bill passed and was signed into law. The bill exempts data, records, communications and other public information from FOIA if they are related to the security of the governor, other state officials, members of the General Assembly, Supreme Court justices and appeals court judges.Members of a group called Arkansas Citizens for Transparency are concerned the law could be used to hide government malfeasance. They are attempting to create a new constitutional amendment on the subject.3) How should the audit results be made public?The auditors would also be tasked with making recommendations on how to let the public know what they learn.The audit could begin as soon as Friday morning after the committee vote.Lawmakers told 40/29 News there is no set timeline but that the audit could be done by the end of the year.
Thursday, a group of Arkansas lawmakers approved an audit over the purchase of a $19,029 podium by the office of Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders.
The Executive Committee of the Legislative Joint Auditing Committee approved the audit. The full committee will vote Friday morning if it will go forward.
The audit would be conducted by independent auditors who work at the direction of the state legislature.
If the full committee approves, the auditors would examine three things:
1) Were any laws broken when the podium was purchased?
The podium was purchased with a state credit card in June from Beckett Events LLC. The $19,029 was a significantly higher price than other lecterns whose prices were listed online, according to the Associated Press.
In September, a blogger discovered the purchase and wrote about it.
The Republican Party of Arkansas responded by reimbursing the state the full purchase amount.
Sanders told 40/29 News that the reimbursement should take care of people’s concerns.
“People want to manufacture a controversy where there isn’t one,” she said. “This is something where the state’s been reimbursed for and I think there’s some people that are going to always be angry, always looking to complain about and that’s what they’re picking right now.”
The audit will also investigate allegations that public records related to the podium purchase were altered illegally.
Tom Mars, an attorney in Rogers, wrote a letter to a lawmaker claiming an anonymous witness has evidence that the governor’s office altered non-exempt FOIA documents, withholding other documents and removing portions of emails that were subject to public records requests.
The Associated Press reported last week that Sanders’ executive assistant, Laura Hamilton, added the words “to be reimbursed” to the original invoice. An email written by a different state employee indicated that someone told Hamilton to add those words, but to not indicate when they were written.
2) What else was purchased during the new FOIA “blackout period”?
A new Arkansas law restricts from public view many public records and is retroactive to June 1, 2022.
The subcommittee wants the auditors to closely examine the expenditure records that were hidden under the new law.
The public first learned about the podium purchase in September from Arkansas blogger Matthew Campbell.
That same month he filed a lawsuit against Arkansas State Police, claiming they illegally withheld public records he had requested on Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders’ travel costs. Sanders responded by asking state lawmakers to exempt more records from Arkansas’ Freedom of Information Act.
A version of the bill passed and was signed into law. The bill exempts data, records, communications and other public information from FOIA if they are related to the security of the governor, other state officials, members of the General Assembly, Supreme Court justices and appeals court judges.
Members of a group called Arkansas Citizens for Transparency are concerned the law could be used to hide government malfeasance. They are attempting to create a new constitutional amendment on the subject.
3) How should the audit results be made public?
The auditors would also be tasked with making recommendations on how to let the public know what they learn.
The audit could begin as soon as Friday morning after the committee vote.
Lawmakers told 40/29 News there is no set timeline but that the audit could be done by the end of the year.
