ARKANSAS, USA — Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders said she welcomes the outcome of a legislative audit into the $19,000 purchase of a lectern, as well as allegations that documents related to the purchase were changed or withheld.
Information about the purchase emerged just a few days before Sanders called a special session intending—at least in part—to limit public access to records about her administration. After that goal faced backlash from media groups and politicians on both sides of the aisle, the bill was amended to only cover travel and security records.
When asked why she hadn't used the lectern in public yet, she replied that if she had, the media would "talk about nothing else ... the media wants to spend all of their time focused on things that frankly don't [impact Arkansas]."
Blue Hog blogger Matt Campbell, who first requested the audit, said, "Anybody who tries to brush this off as 'who cares about a lectern?' is missing the point ... If the GOP had just bought the lectern in the first place, it's not an issue, but it's the questions that remain."
Similar lecterns are listed online for $7,500 or less, but Sanders stated the one purchased by the state had additional features such as custom height and sound components, and the cost included a road case, shipping, handling, and a 3% credit card fee.
A group trying to put Arkansas Freedom of Information (FOIA) laws on the ballot has reached a roadblock after a proposal was rejected. Arkansas State Senator Clarke Tucker said the drafting committee of the Arkansas Citizens for Transparency (ACT) has met several times a week over the last few months to iron out the details of a proposed constitutional amendment of Arkansas FOIA laws.
ACT submitted the finalized proposal to the attorney general's office two weeks ago. Now, the group has to go back to the drawing board after the proposal was rejected by Attorney General Tim Griffin because of "undefined terms."
The auditors said they expect the investigation to wrap up in early 2024.
Parts of this article were contributed by the Associated Press.
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