Arkansas Legislative Audit Committee discusses details of podium purchase by governor’s office
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – State lawmakers held a lengthy hearing at the Arkansas Capitol to review the governor’s office’s purchase of a podium.
The hearing’s length reflected the details of a Legislative Audit report released Monday evening regarding the purchase. An audit was called for in October 2023 after questions about the propriety of the purchase.
Audit of Arkansas $19,000 lectern purchase reveals technical errors in paperwork, compliance
The committee voted to accept the audit at 5:13 p.m., three hours and 13 minutes after its 2 p.m. start.
Members of the Arkansas House and Senate questioned auditors, members of the governor’s staff, and the attorney general’s office about the audit. Questions could be roughly grouped into two areas: the legality of the means used to purchase the podium and the quality of the product ultimately purchased.
The podium was ultimately paid for by the Republican Party of Arkansas, which reimbursed the state.
The first pictures we have taken ourselves at @KARK4News @FOX16News of the podium. #NEWS pic.twitter.com/jtv4c4SlN2
— Caroline Derby (@CarolineWDerby) April 16, 2024
The legality hinged on an April 10 opinion by Attorney General Tim Griffin that the governor’s office was not liable for the same record-keeping requirements as a state agency since Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders occupies a constitutional office. This view was part of the governor’s office’s formal response to the audit.
The audit found the governor’s office in “potential noncompliance” with seven items in state law related to record keeping. If the governor’s office was a constitutional office, then five of the seven items listed would not apply, Deputy Attorney General Noah Watson explained to the committee.
The quality of the podium was typified by questions from Sen. Scott Flippo (R – Bull Shoals) questioning the $2,500 consulting fee that as part of the invoice.
The governor’s deputy chief of staff, Judd Deere, explained that the two consultants the office purchased the podium from, Hannah Stone and Virginia Beckett of Beckett Events, were the “best in the business” in justifying the consulting fee.
Flippo’s question was followed shortly afterward by Sen. John Payton (R – Wilburn) who said, “What we don’t hear is ‘We should have done it a different way.’”
He followed this by asking if the governor’s office would use these vendors again since they never replied to the legislative audit’s requests.
“[The office had] no plans to use these vendors in the future,” Deere said.
Governor’s office chief legal counsel Cortney Kennedy also admitted to a question from Payton that the podium was not the height that was ordered.
The podium is currently in the governor’s office. It was kept from public view during the audit so as not to be a distraction, Deere explained to a question from Rep. Julie Mayberry (R – Hensley).
Scrutiny of Arkansas governor’s $19,000 lectern deepens after new records are released
Legislative Audit still has a second requirement to review records no longer publicly available due to changes in the state’s Freedom of Information Act last summer.
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