The co-chairman of a legislative committee in Arkansas, Jimmy Gazaway, has announced that the report on the $19,000 lectern purchase ordered for Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders will be released to the public within the next 10 days. Gazaway, along with Republican Sen. David Wallace, received the report from auditors recently and is currently reviewing it. It is unclear whether the report will be released to the committee beforehand or if a hearing will be held on it. Gazaway emphasized the importance of reviewing the report before its public release to ensure it is in good order.
The purchase of the 3 1/4-foot-tall blue and wood-paneled lectern with a state credit card for $19,029.25 from an events company in Virginia sparked nationwide scrutiny last year. The Republican Party of Arkansas later reimbursed the state for the purchase, and Sanders’ office attributed the use of the state credit card to an accounting error. Despite the controversy surrounding the lectern, it has not been seen at any of Sanders’ public events. The audit of this purchase, which was expected to be completed by the end of March, was delayed due to an extension given to Sanders’ office to submit its response to the audit’s findings.
Sanders, a Republican who previously served as press secretary for former President Donald Trump, has dismissed inquiries about the lectern as a “manufactured controversy.” The item remains out of public view since its receipt by Sanders’ office in August. The auditors’ report is now under review by Gazaway and Wallace, who are responsible for ensuring its accuracy and completeness before its release to the public. The audit was initiated by the Legislative Joint Auditing Committee following concerns about the costs and transparency surrounding the purchase.
The legislative committee’s review of the audit report is part of its oversight responsibilities to ensure accountability and transparency in government spending. The committee had approved the request to examine the lectern purchase based on concerns raised about the high price and lack of clear public records regarding the transaction. By reviewing the report and potentially holding a hearing on its findings, Gazaway and Wallace aim to uphold the committee’s duty to provide oversight on government expenditures and address any discrepancies or errors that may have occurred in the purchase of the lectern.
As the investigation progresses, the public is eagerly anticipating the release of the audit report to shed light on the circumstances surrounding the controversial lectern purchase. The outcome of the audit and any subsequent actions taken by the committee will be closely monitored by constituents and stakeholders eager to ensure transparency and accountability in government spending. The release of the report within the next 10 days will provide clarity on the findings of the audit and may lead to further discussion and scrutiny of the events leading up to the purchase of the $19,000 lectern for Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders.
