Audit suggests Sarah Sanders’ office may have violated the law in $19K lectern controversy

After a thorough investigation into the procurement and payment process, the $19,000 lectern that caused a stir in Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders’ office is finally being showcased. The audit revealed potential violations of state laws by Sanders’ staff, prompting the need for a comprehensive examination.

The governor’s office dismissed the investigation as a misuse of taxpayer resources and time, criticizing the audit report as deeply flawed.

“The report confirms what the governor’s office has consistently stated: we abided by the law, and the state received full reimbursement for the podium through private funds, with no burden on the taxpayers,” stated Alexa Henning, spokesperson for Sanders.

Last year, a Republican state senator initiated an investigation following the public’s scrutiny and national attention the lectern received due to its exorbitant price tag. Even late-night host Jimmy Kimmel took a jab at it.

In June 2023, Little Rock attorney and progressive blogger, Matt Campbell, brought attention to an interesting discovery. It was revealed that Sanders’ office had made a payment of $19,029.25 to Beckett Events, a boutique event planning company. This transaction was made using a state-issued credit card. It is worth noting that the owners of Beckett Events have close ties with the governor.

Lawmakers grilled Sanders’ staff about the findings of the audit during a lengthy three-hour hearing at the state Capitol on Tuesday. The report was officially submitted to prosecuting attorneys on Monday.

During the hearing, Republican state Representative Julie Mayberry expressed her disappointment, stating, “I was really hoping that you all would have brought the lectern with you today so we could see it. We all can agree that $19,000 was spent on an item, and no one has really seen it.” Mayberry emphasized the lack of transparency surrounding the expenditure and the need for accountability.

Judd Deere, Sanders’ deputy chief of staff, informed lawmakers that she intends to utilize the lectern now that the audit has been concluded. Previously, she had refrained from using it to avoid any potential distractions.

The audit report identified seven instances of noncompliance in the governor’s office, where state laws regarding purchasing, state property, and government records may have been violated. However, Deere emphasized that no disciplinary action was taken against any members of the governor’s staff, stating that such action was unnecessary.

So, what comes next for the ongoing dispute, famously referred to as #LecternGate?

Republican Attorney General Tim Griffin of Arkansas has already stated that he will not pursue charges, which has angered critics. He explained that state purchasing laws do not apply to the governor or other executive branch officials, but only to state agencies.

Will Jones, the prosecuting attorney for the 6th Judicial District in Little Rock, would likely be responsible for filing any potential criminal charges.

According to Jones, his office is currently evaluating the audit, and he emphasizes that this review is being conducted in the same manner as any other file review that they receive.

Sarah Sanders, the daughter of former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee and a former Trump White House official, has earned a reputation as a rising star within the Republican Party.

Potential violations include tampering with public records

During the interviews, they were informed that the shredding had occurred unintentionally.

According to auditors, the governor’s deputy chief of staff instructed an executive assistant to include handwritten notes on two invoices, stating “to be reimbursed,” after Campbell, the blogger, requested documents related to the lectern’s purchase through a Freedom of Information Act request. It was only after Campbell brought attention to the matter that state Republicans decided to repay the cost of the lectern.

The audit reveals several possible breaches of budgeting and accounting laws. One such violation is the misallocation of the purchase to operating expenses, despite state regulations prohibiting the expensing of equipment that should be capitalized. Additionally, the lectern was paid for in advance, contrary to the standard practice of payment upon delivery.

The governor’s office also neglected to inform a state agency about the delivery of the lectern, as required. Additionally, they did not create a business expense justification statement on the same day it was purchased.

According to Sanders, the purchase of the lectern followed the standard protocol in their office.

Lectern has no electronic components, despite special features touted

Last fall, when Sanders faced criticism for the cost of the lectern compared to other furniture and equipment, she clarified that it was custom-made to accommodate her height and was designed to optimize sound quality. She also highlighted that the lectern incorporated features that allowed multiple media outlets to plug in simultaneously.

The auditors found that the lectern does not have a microphone or any electronic components.

According to their statement, they mentioned that there is indeed a light included.

The report provided a detailed breakdown of the overall expenses, which are as follows: $11,575 was allocated for the purchase of the lectern, $2,500 for consulting services, $2,200 for a travel case, $1,225 for shipping the lectern, $975 for shipping the travel case, and $554 for the credit card processing fee.

The governor’s office faced criticism on social media when it was revealed that they had paid a $2,500 consulting fee. This information had not been disclosed before, and it raised eyebrows among the public. Adding to the controversy, it was discovered that the office was contemplating returning a lectern they had received due to a height discrepancy.

The podium’s total cost of $19,000 is significantly higher than what could be obtained through regular retail channels. According to a retailer, their own lecterns are sold for approximately $7,000, which is significantly lower. Additionally, two political sources with expertise in producing podiums have stated that the $19,029.25 price tag is more than what they would have charged or spent on acquiring a podium.

Sanders herself didn’t participate in the audit, nor did the lectern’s vendors

The audit report revealed that both Sanders and the lectern vendors did not cooperate with the investigation, despite Sanders’ previous statement expressing her willingness to welcome the audit.

According to the audit, auditors made several attempts to contact Virginia Beckett and Hannah Stone of Beckett Events via telephone, certified mail, and email. However, the report stated that they did not respond to any of these attempts. Similarly, Miller’s Presentation Furniture, the New York-based manufacturer of the lectern, also did not respond to the auditors’ attempts to contact them.

Beckett and Stone had previously been contracted by Sanders’ office to assist in the pre-event preparations for her gubernatorial inauguration and the 2023 GOP response to the State of the Union address. Additionally, they were present at the Paris Air Show in June, coinciding with Sanders’ attendance, when the lectern was purchased.

Auditors sought assistance from Sanders’ office to contact the vendors during their investigation. The governor’s office’s chief legal counsel informed lawmakers on Tuesday that she had sent two emails to Beckett Events.

In the future, the governor’s aide stated on Tuesday that she has no intention of utilizing the vendors again.

ABC News’ request for comment went unanswered by both vendors.

No evidence state party planned to reimburse state before FOIA request

The state’s Republican Party reimbursed the five-figure purchase made by Campbell with taxpayer dollars only after seeking additional information. Auditors reported that there was no indication that the governor’s office was seeking reimbursement for the cost of the podium and the road case before the requests were made.

According to Sanders’ spokesperson, the use of a state credit card for the purchase was deemed as “an accounting error” during the previous fall.

The governor’s office had also requested permission to raise the spending limit on the state credit card before purchasing the lectern, rather than having the Arkansas Republican Party handle the purchase themselves.

In a statement to ABC News, Campbell expressed his appreciation for the auditors’ efforts, stating that they have confirmed what was already known: the purchase of the lectern was illegal and executed in a highly questionable manner.

According to the audit, it was found that the lectern belongs to the state of Arkansas due to broken protocols.

One Arkansas vendor contacted and quoted a far lower lectern price

According to auditors, the staff members in Sanders’ office stated that they were unable to remember obtaining any other quotes for the lectern.

Although the auditors acknowledged the challenges in assessing the cost of the podium, including the unique specifications, limited vendor responses, and insufficient documentation, they subtly suggested that the price of the podium was relatively high compared to similar lecterns available in the market.

According to the report, it is important to mention that you can find non-customized falcon style podiums from online vendors for around $7,000, which is significantly less than the $11,575 spent on the custom falcon podium.

Lawmakers from both political parties in Arkansas have expressed skepticism regarding the lectern’s usefulness.

“I’m not convinced that the lectern is worth $19,000 or $11,500,” expressed Republican state Sen. John Payton on Tuesday. “However, I do believe that the valuable lesson learned from this incident could be worth much more, only if we acknowledge the fact that it was a display of poor judgment and carelessness.”