The co-chairman of a legislative committee overseeing the audit of a $19,000 lectern purchased for Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders has announced that the report is anticipated to be made public within the next 10 days. The Legislative Joint Auditing Committee, led by Republican Rep. Jimmy Gazaway and Republican Sen. David Wallace, received the report from auditors last Friday and is currently in the process of reviewing its contents.
Gazaway emphasized the importance of ensuring the report is thoroughly examined before its release to the public or potential committee hearing. He stated, 'As the chairs of the committee, we felt like it was important to review it before it's released. I think we have an obligation to ensure it's in good form and good order, and that's what we're doing.'
The committee initiated the audit following concerns over the purchase of the 3 1/4-foot-tall blue and wood-paneled lectern, which was acquired in June for $19,029.25 using a state credit card from a Virginia-based events company. The Republican Party of Arkansas later reimbursed the state for the transaction, attributing the use of the state credit card to an accounting error. Governor Sanders' office confirmed receipt of the lectern in August but clarified that it has not been utilized at public events.
Despite the controversy surrounding the lectern purchase, Sanders has dismissed the issue as a 'manufactured controversy.' The audit, initially slated for completion by the end of March, faced a delay as Sanders' office was granted an extension to provide its response to the findings.
