A $19,000 lectern for Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders sparks call for legislative audit

Link

So I've been watching this story for about a week now, waiting for it to get verified by more outlets. Originally the Arkansas Times exposed what was happening, but now it's grown into a huge scandal and calls for investigations have started.

What is being alleged?

Sarah Huckabee Sanders is alleged to have used $20,000 of taxpayer money to fly a friend of hers to Paris, France for a luxury trip. When it was found that the money was misused, she and her staff came up with an order for a $20,000 super luxury podium, likely made out of the rarest woods and precious metal inlays. However, it was then found that the podium had never been ordered or delivered, and the Arkansas GOP stepped in and said this was a mistake and the podium is for them.

Why Sarah Sanders, the governor, would be ordering a podium for the GOP, with taxpayer money, is still unexplained.

So now that the GOP said the podium was theirs, they paid the $20k back, bought a podium on Amazon for $553, attached the receipt, and thought the scandal would be over.

Only the money for the friend and his trip to Paris is still unaccounted for, even if the GOP is out $19.5k for a podium. And there are more and more questions being raised every time one of them tries to cover this up.

And now there are calls for audits and investigations. From Republicans.

A legislative panel next week will take up a lawmaker’s request for an audit to review the purchase of the lectern, which was bought in June for $19,029.25 with a state credit card. The Arkansas Republican Party reimbursed the state last month for the wood-paneled and blue lectern, which the state received in August.

“From my experience, where we’re at with this particular thing is we need to allow legislative audit go in,” Republican Sen. Jimmy Hickey, who requested the audit, said. “Everyone knows them, they do their work, they’re very thorough and then they produce a detailed report that comes to the Legislature through an open committee.”

Ok, now a more personal comment on this scandal.

WTF! How crooked can these people be to think in the 21st century nobody would find out that you flew a buddy to Paris for a fun time and then had taxpayers cover the costs for everything. Who the heck did she learn such corruption from?

a reply to: Mahogany

How crooked can these people be to think in the 21st century nobody would find out that you flew a buddy to Paris for a fun time and then had taxpayers cover the costs for everything. Who the heck did she learn such corruption from?

Wait until you hear about the Bidens.

Can't wait for your expose.

originally posted by: JinMI
a reply to: Mahogany

How crooked can these people be to think in the 21st century nobody would find out that you flew a buddy to Paris for a fun time and then had taxpayers cover the costs for everything. Who the heck did she learn such corruption from?

Wait until you hear about the Bidens.

Can't wait for your expose.

Here's my response.

Stay on topic.

a reply to: Mahogany

I responded directly to a quote in your topic.


Sucks to be Sarah at the moment.

20k. I'm sure she'll fry for that.

I'm surprised that you're surprised the GOP would step in.

a reply to: nugget1

I know; lets raise a stick over a lectern and that way we give the masses something to argue over while their welth continues to fall apart around them. ~ some back room deal between politicians.

a reply to: Mahogany

There is a bunch of juicy cover up stuff in that article, yeah?

The lectern’s purchase was first uncovered by Matthew Campbell, an attorney and blogger who has sued State Police for withholding records he had requested about Sanders’ travel and security. Days after Campbell filed his initial suit, Sanders called a special legislative session and proposed broad exemptions to the state’s open records law.

Sanders signed into law a measure restricting the public’s access to her travel and security records after she and lawmakers backed off more widespread exemptions that faced backlash from media groups, transparency advocates and some conservatives.

Huckabee did say all the right things though about the left on a witch hunt kind of stuff and gee whiz yeah I welcome an audit but from the reading of this article it seems that she is closing down her transparency in the state.

OH, and yeah, as I was reading he article I wondered to my self just how far into the thread I would get before I read the name Biden.Six whole words before it finally did which maybe a new record.

originally posted by: TerryMcGuire
OH, and yeah, as I was reading he article I wondered to my self just how far into the thread I would get before I read the name Biden.Six whole words before it finally did which maybe a new record.

I've pointed out in another thread how you do the same thing when it's a thread about Biden and people bring Trump's name into it and you don't mention those times.

Why is it all right when you do it, but it's not right when other's do it?

All politicians are crooks - haven't you figured this out, yet?

at least she didn't run over and kill someone.

I figured they would have bought a few walk in freezers stocked with ice cream and cake, that would have been more believable due to her plus size then a stupid podium.

originally posted by: JinMI
a reply to: Mahogany

I responded directly to a quote in your topic.


Sucks to be Sarah at the moment.

20k. I'm sure she'll fry for that.

amateur. Pro's work in the 20 mil range.

a reply to: Mahogany

both sides do crooked things. I mean, whatabout......

Exactly why women shouldn't be allowed in leadership.

a reply to: Halfswede

And now we go to Halfswede reporting from 1950.

a reply to: Mahogany

I find it strange that they would buy a podium from Beckett Events LLC in Virginia. Here's their web page link.

Beckett Events LLC

Or, is the reporter implying that this is the woman who was: "Sarah Huckabee Sanders is alleged to have used $20,000 of taxpayer money to fly a friend of hers to Paris, France for a luxury trip".

a reply to: Threadbare
Good golly miss molly. Do I have to put the /s?

Something something trying to be subtle about directing blame

To be abundantly clear, just investigate all leads with the same rigor based on the perceived crime, not on the person.

In this case, if she did do the Paris thing on the state , she should step down and face the music.

a reply to: Halfswede

You can never be too sure on this site.

a reply to: Mahogany

Amazon has lecterns, goose neck mic included...$50 bucks

Wow, this is a pretty dead topic once people try to stay on it.

Oh well, I'll bring it up again once the investigations are underway.

originally posted by: TerryMcGuire
a reply to: Mahogany
OH, and yeah, as I was reading he article I wondered to my self just how far into the thread I would get before I read the name Biden.Six whole words before it finally did which maybe a new record.

And apparently on ATS, that is no longer called derailing, that is now called staying on topic.