LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — An Arkansas State Senator has requested an audit regarding a lectern that has become the subject of speculation after records released under the Freedom of Information Act were posted online by a blogger.
State Sen. Jimmy Hickey Jr. (R-Texarkana) made the request Wednesday, Sept. 27 via letter to Sen. David Wallace (R-Leachville) and Rep. Jimmy Gazaway (R-Paragould), the chairs of the Legislative Joint Auditing Committee.
The lectern’s purchase was first revealed by blogger and attorney Matt Campbell on social media on Sept. 15. The lectern was reportedly purchased for $18,475 from Beckett Events LLC, which is described as an “events management company” based in Arlington, Virginia.
In the letter, Hickey asks the committee to audit the purchase as well as “all matters, involving the Governor or the Governor’s Office, made confidential” by Act 7 of the recent special session. That law, signed by Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders, restricts the release of the governor’s travel and security records.
The payment was reportedly reimbursed to the State of Arkansas by the Republican Party of Arkansas, according to the Arkansas Democrat Gazette.
Alexa Henning, the spokesperson for Gov. Sanders, said the governor “welcomes the audit and encourages legislators to complete it without delay.”
In a statement, the Arkansas Attorney General’s office said that the state’s procurement rules “exempts constitutional offices, including the Governor, from most requirements” under the law.
We have reached out to Gov. Sanders’ office for a statement and will update this article as it becomes available.
