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BumRushDaShow

(129,136 posts) Tue Apr 16, 2024, 05:56 AM Apr 16

Audit of governor's $19,000 lectern purchase released

Source: NPR/KUAR Little Rock

Published April 15, 2024 at 7:07 PM CDT

The Arkansas Legislative Audit released a report on Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders’ purchase of a lectern Monday afternoon, saying the governor may have broken state law after she spent tax money on a pricey Falcon podium.

In June, the governor spent in-total $19,029 on the purchase. The price of the podium itself was a little over $11,000, combined with an additional $2,500 for consulting fees, $2,200 for a road case, plus additional costs for freight, shipping and taxes. The report says even the governor found this price to be high.

At the time, the governor's office had a purchase card with a balance of more than $440,000 for “transition services.” The purchase was made with that card, meaning it was paid for with public funds. News of the purchase broke through a FOIA request filed by Matt Campbell, who now reports for the Arkansas Times. At the time of the FOIA request, he wrote a blog called the Blue Hog Report.

After the purchase came to light, the Republican Party of Arkansas reimbursed the governor's office. The purchase prompted questions from the public and members of the Arkansas Legislature. Rep. Jimmy Hickey, R-Texarkana, asked for the audit in October.

Read more: https://www.ualrpublicradio.org/local-regional-news/2024-04-15/audit-of-governors-19-000-lectern-purchase-released

16 replies

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Highlight:

Audit of governor's $19,000 lectern purchase released (Original Post) BumRushDaShow Apr 16 OP

The article mentions that reporters were allowed to see the lectern, Arkansas Granny Apr 16 #1

.... trusty elf Apr 16 #2

Good grief. And Republicans complained about Obama's tan suit being too casual? SunSeeker Apr 16 #4

Looks like someone moniss Apr 16 #10

Little droopy Oakley...If she changes her name to left eye and burns down the governor's mansion, that will be rich. Comfortably_Numb Apr 16 #7

To hold her up, that lectern must be made of the heaviest cast iron on the planet! Just sayin....for a friend. machoneman Apr 16 #8

Aw, jeez. There's an image I could have done without. (nt) Paladin Apr 16 #9

This article is odd angrychair Apr 16 #3

More proof that Republicans Old Crank Apr 16 #5

Consulting fees of $2,500? PatSeg Apr 16 #6

My excuse for everything from now on is that 'rules I've been said to have broken don't apply to me.' ffr Apr 16 #11

She doesn't need anything fancy - a stack of milk crates would match the way she dresses. Talitha Apr 16 #12

Oh, she bought a lectern Monday afternoon? Sloppy editors... Hermit-The-Prog Apr 16 #13

Lazy writers Quanto Magnus Apr 16 #15

Paying people who do the work would subtract from executive bonuses. Hermit-The-Prog Apr 16 #16

After learning what the podium is I'm concerned jmowreader Apr 16 #14

Arkansas Granny

(31,519 posts)

1. The article mentions that reporters were allowed to see the lectern,

Reply to BumRushDaShow (Original post)

Tue Apr 16, 2024, 07:00 AM

Apr 16

however, it has never been seen by the public. Her reasoning is that if she used the lectern now, that's all people would talk about and they would ignore all the wonderful things she's done for the state.

She certainly perfected the art of lying while working for her former boss.

trusty elf

(7,394 posts)

2. ....

Reply to BumRushDaShow (Original post)

Tue Apr 16, 2024, 07:37 AM

Apr 16

SunSeeker

(51,574 posts)

4. Good grief. And Republicans complained about Obama's tan suit being too casual?

Reply to trusty elf (Reply #2)

Tue Apr 16, 2024, 08:33 AM

Apr 16

She looks like she's wearing a kitchen curtain. And pairing that with brown Go-Go boots? WTF

moniss

(4,263 posts)

10. Looks like someone

Reply to SunSeeker (Reply #4)

Tue Apr 16, 2024, 09:46 AM

Apr 16

got up in the morning a little bleary eyed and thought the bed skirt at the Redneck Inn and Suites was her dress.

Comfortably_Numb

(3,809 posts)

7. Little droopy Oakley...If she changes her name to left eye and burns down the governor's mansion, that will be rich.

Reply to trusty elf (Reply #2)

Tue Apr 16, 2024, 09:11 AM

Apr 16

machoneman

(4,007 posts)

8. To hold her up, that lectern must be made of the heaviest cast iron on the planet! Just sayin....for a friend.

Reply to trusty elf (Reply #2)

Tue Apr 16, 2024, 09:13 AM

Apr 16

Paladin

(28,265 posts)

9. Aw, jeez. There's an image I could have done without. (nt)

Reply to trusty elf (Reply #2)

Tue Apr 16, 2024, 09:19 AM

Apr 16

angrychair

(8,702 posts)

3. This article is odd

Reply to BumRushDaShow (Original post)

Tue Apr 16, 2024, 08:28 AM

Apr 16

Because last I heard they couldn't even confirm that the money was actually spent of the lectern as there are three different invoices out there, all of them altered in some way.
As I understood it in the early days of this investigation it was believed the lectern purchase was potentially used to cover expenses for a trip to France and Disney world France.

We all know what will happen in the end: Sarah will go "golly I'm sorry" and nothing will happen.

Old Crank

(3,598 posts)

5. More proof that Republicans

Reply to BumRushDaShow (Original post)

Tue Apr 16, 2024, 08:49 AM

Apr 16

always handle the public purse with care.....

Snark.

PatSeg

(47,512 posts)

6. Consulting fees of $2,500?

Reply to BumRushDaShow (Original post)

Tue Apr 16, 2024, 09:04 AM

Apr 16

Why do you need to pay a consultant to purchase a lectern? Sounds like a way for someone to conveniently pocket a little extra cash at the taxpayer's expense.

ffr

(22,671 posts)

11. My excuse for everything from now on is that 'rules I've been said to have broken don't apply to me.'

Reply to BumRushDaShow (Original post)

Tue Apr 16, 2024, 10:40 AM

Apr 16

Sanders says the rules she is said to have broken don't apply to the governor's office.

It's the perfect excuse when you've been caught red-handed performing some corrupt unlawful act.

Talitha

(6,593 posts)

12. She doesn't need anything fancy - a stack of milk crates would match the way she dresses.

Reply to BumRushDaShow (Original post)

Tue Apr 16, 2024, 10:49 AM

Apr 16

Hermit-The-Prog

(33,356 posts)

13. Oh, she bought a lectern Monday afternoon? Sloppy editors...

Reply to BumRushDaShow (Original post)

Tue Apr 16, 2024, 11:29 AM

Apr 16

"The Arkansas Legislative Audit released a report on Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders’ purchase of a lectern Monday afternoon, saying the governor may have broken state law after she spent tax money on a pricey Falcon podium."

How about:

"Monday afternoon, the Arkansas Legislative Audit released a report on Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders’ purchase of a lectern, saying the governor may have broken state law after she spent tax money on a pricey Falcon podium."

Journalists are supposed to answer 'who, what, when, where, how', not muddle them.

Quanto Magnus

(895 posts)

15. Lazy writers

Reply to Hermit-The-Prog (Reply #13)

Tue Apr 16, 2024, 03:45 PM

Apr 16

So many articles are riddled with typos, many have become unreadable....

I read another article this morning and it had several cases of the wrong word being used and that wrong word wasn't even close to the assumed correct word. It couldn't have even been a typo.

News outlets need to hire some better article editors.

Hermit-The-Prog

(33,356 posts)

16. Paying people who do the work would subtract from executive bonuses.

Reply to Quanto Magnus (Reply #15)

Tue Apr 16, 2024, 03:52 PM

Apr 16

jmowreader

(50,560 posts)

14. After learning what the podium is I'm concerned

Reply to BumRushDaShow (Original post)

Tue Apr 16, 2024, 03:02 PM

Apr 16

https://www.ampli.com/lecterns-and-podiums/3046-Falcon-Patriot-Lectern.aspx

The company that makes these charges $7553, not $11,000. $2200 for a flight case that big sounds about right. The Arkansas State Prison could have made the state seal and mounted it on the lectern for a few hundred dollars…and what the hell is this consulting fee?

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