LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — The state's Legislative Joint Auditing Committee has approved an audit into the purchase of a $19,000 lectern made by the office of Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders.
All three parts of the auditing request, made by Sen. Jimmy Hickey Jr. (R-Texarkana), were approved Thursday, Oct. 12. Hickey said that the issues around the purchase needs "a full blown audit to get all the facts."
The lectern, which was bought using a state government credit card in June, has come under scrutiny following documents that were released under the Freedom of Information Act to THV11 along with other media outlets.
First revealed by blogger and attorney Matt Campbell on Sept. 15, the controversy surrounding the lectern's purchase has continued as more public records have been released.
A few days after Campbell filed an initial lawsuit against the Arkansas State Police regarding a Freedom of Information Act request, a special legislative session was called by Sanders. She proposed changing the state's FOIA rules, but it was later scaled back after strong opposition and signed into law a proposal that restricts access to security and travel records.
Among the new documents includes an undated "to be reimbursed" note, which was added by Laura Hamilton, an executive assistant and office manager for the governor's office.
An email written by Cassie Cantlon, a Transportation and Shared Services employee, doesn't say who instructed Hamilton but that "she was told not to date it" and to only say it was to be reimbursed.
Gov. Sanders' office has claimed the use of the state credit card was an "accounting error" and the lectern was received in August. The office has also labeled the interest in the lectern "nothing more than a manufactured controversy."
The payment was reportedly reimbursed by the Republican Party of Arkansas on Sept. 14, three months after it was purchased in June.
Sanders herself has said she welcomes the audit. "Let them do the audit and get it done as quickly as possible."
Some are questioning why the lectern had a $19,000 price, which reportedly included a road case as well as taxes, shipping, and a 3% processing fee.