Sarah Huckabee Sanders Under Fire Over $19k Lectern, Calls For Audit Grow

Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders found herself at the center of controversy over a $19,000 lectern that can be seen at the State Capitol in Little Rock.

RadarOnline.com has learned that critics have emerged in full force over a purchase by the Sanders administration in June, which was reimbursed by the Republican Party of Arkansas in September, court records indicated.

A whistleblower is alleging the office of Sanders "altered" and "withheld" certain documents requested through the Arkansas Freedom of Information Act, which emerged from a letter sent by attorney Tom Mars to Senator Jimmy Hickey Jr.

Hickey Jr. addressed a letter requesting the audit to senior members of the Legislative Joint Auditing Committee, a non-partisan body, in regards to the purchase of a podium or lectern from Beckett Events LLC for use by the governor's office as well as "all matters, involving the Governor or the Governor's Office, made confidential by Section 4(a) of Act 7 of the First Extraordinary Session of 2023."

"I think where we are with everything that's transpired out of this podium, I think for all involved it's going to be better if we go back and look at all the retroactive stuff," Hickey said in an interview with the Arkansas Times. "It seems like, to me, the podium and all that have been tied together."

Sanders spokesperson Alexa Henning has since posted online that the governor "welcomes the audit and encourages legislators to complete it without delay," going on to claim the state was reimbursed for lectern with "private funding raised for the inauguration" while blasting the online theories regarding the purchase as "nothing more than a manufactured controversy by left wing activists."

Sanders, herself, also said it was paid for using private funds critics are "manufacturing a controversy where there isn't one," she told reporters.

"This is something the state's been reimbursed for and I think there's some people that are always going to be angry, always looking for something to complain about, and that's what they're picking for right now."

"We are happy to continue to work with our partners in the legislature, let them do the audit, and get it done as quickly as possible."

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When asked if she would be conducting an internal investigation in her administration, she said, "I don't think it's necessary."

The legislative audit website states there will be a committee meeting set to take place October 13.