SPRINGDALE, Ark. — Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders addressed her office's purchase of a $19,000 lectern that's sparked controversy across the state.
While attending an event in Springdale on Oct. 3, 2023, Governor Sanders fielded questions from reporters about the purchased lectern and said the controversy originated from an accounting error.
“I think the process just wasn't as clean as it should have been. It's been reimbursed by private funds, and nothing was paid for by taxpayers. And that was the error on the front end,” said Governor Sanders.
The lectern, purchased by the state from an events management company based in Virginia, was first revealed by Matt Campbell, an attorney and blogger, on social media.
According to Campbell, the lectern was purchased on June 12, 2023, but the Republican party of Arkansas didn't reimburse the state until two months later on Aug. 14.
The governor's office has not explained how the described error was made, or when it was discovered, but answers could come in the form of a legislative audit requested by Republican state senator Jimmy Hickey Jr. of Texarkana.
“We are happy to continue to work with our partners and get it done as quickly as possible,” Governor Sanders said.
Rogers attorney Tom Mars represents a whistleblower who is accusing the governor's office of withholding and altering documents concerning the lectern, requested via the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA).
“People want to manufacture controversy where there isn't one, but this is something the state has been reimbursed for. I think there are some people who are always going to be angry, always looking for something to complain about," said Governor Sanders.
The legislative audit committee will meet next week to determine if they will accept the request to launch an official independent audit.
Governor Sanders says that she does not see the need for an internal investigation within her office.
Watch 5NEWS on YouTube.
Download the 5NEWS app on your smartphone:
Stream 5NEWS 24/7 on the 5+ app: How to watch the 5+ app on your streaming device
To report a typo or grammatical error, please email KFSMDigitalTeam@tegna.com and detail which story you're referring to.