Arkansas lawmakers question governor’s staff about purchase of $19,000 lectern cited by audit

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — Arkansas lawmakers on Tuesday pointedly questioned Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders’ staff about the $19,000 purchase of a lectern that an audit says potentially violated laws on purchasing, property and government records.

During a nearly three-hour hearing before the committee that requested the audit, the first-term Republican governor’s top aides faced skepticism from even some GOP lawmakers over the purchase of the lectern that has drawn national attention.

“I don’t think the lectern’s worth $19,000 or $11,500,” Republican Sen. John Payton said. “But I do think the lesson learned could be worth far more than that if we would just accept the fact that it was bad judgement and it was carelessness.”

The audit released Monday said the governor’s office potentially violated Arkansas laws on purchasing, state property and the handling of government records. Sanders’ office has disputed the audit’s findings, calling it deeply flawed.

Judd Deere, Sanders’ deputy chief of staff, characterized the audit as a waste of taxpayer resources and said there was no mistake in the office’s handling of the purchase. Deere appeared alongside Cortney Kennedy, Sanders’ chief legal counsel.

“This is not a mistake,” Deere told the panel. “The podium was a legitimate purchase.”

<bsp-list-loadmore data-module="" class=«PageListStandardB» data-gtm-region=«READ MORE» data-gtm-topic=«No Value» data-gtm-modulestyle=«List B»> <bsp-custom-headline custom-headline=«div»> READ MORE </bsp-custom-headline> <bsp-custom-headline custom-headline=«div»> Audit says Arkansas governor’s office potentially violated laws with $19,000 lectern purchase </bsp-custom-headline> <bsp-custom-headline custom-headline=«div»> Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee