Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders is facing a potential legislative audit over the purchase of a $19,000 podium or what’s also called a lectern.Sanders recently toured Hellstern Middle School in Springdale, where she told 40/29 News that using tax dollars to purchase the podium was an error.”I think the process just wasn’t as clean as it should have been. Again, it’s been reimbursed by private funds. Nothing was paid for by taxpayers, and that was the error on the front end,” Sanders said.According to the governor’s office, the Republican Party of Arkansas reimbursed the state for all costs associated with the expense.State Sen. Jimmy Hickey requested the Joint Legislative Auditing Committee to investigate the purchase.When asked if Arkansans should be concerned to learn the governor’s office spent $19,000 on a podium, Sanders said, “No, this was paid for by private funds. People want to manufacture a controversy where there isn’t one. 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 request also asks for an examination of confidential matters related to the governor’s security detail due to changes in Arkansas Freedom of Information laws.In a letter sent to Sen. Hickey, Rogers-based attorney Tom Mars accused the governor’s office of altering non-exempt FOIA documents, withholding other documents, and removing parts of emails related to public records requests. Sanders told 40/29 News there’s no truth to the allegations and that she does not think it’s necessary to launch an internal investigation.Members of the legislative auditing committee will meet next week to determine if they will accept Sen. Hickey’s request to launch an official independent audit.
Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders is facing a potential legislative audit over the purchase of a $19,000 podium or what’s also called a lectern.
Sanders recently toured Hellstern Middle School in Springdale, where she told 40/29 News that using tax dollars to purchase the podium was an error.
“I think the process just wasn’t as clean as it should have been. Again, it’s been reimbursed by private funds. Nothing was paid for by taxpayers, and that was the error on the front end,” Sanders said.
According to the governor’s office, the Republican Party of Arkansas reimbursed the state for all costs associated with the expense.
State Sen. Jimmy Hickey requested the Joint Legislative Auditing Committee to investigate the purchase.
When asked if Arkansans should be concerned to learn the governor’s office spent $19,000 on a podium, Sanders said, “No, this was paid for by private funds. People want to manufacture a controversy where there isn’t one. 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 request also asks for an examination of confidential matters related to the governor’s security detail due to changes in Arkansas Freedom of Information laws.
In a letter sent to Sen. Hickey, Rogers-based attorney Tom Mars accused the governor’s office of altering non-exempt FOIA documents, withholding other documents, and removing parts of emails related to public records requests.
Sanders told 40/29 News there’s no truth to the allegations and that she does not think it’s necessary to launch an internal investigation.
Members of the legislative auditing committee will meet next week to determine if they will accept Sen. Hickey’s request to launch an official independent audit.
