Draft audit report of Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders’ lectern purchase complete

Samantha Boyd
·2 min read
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LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – The questions surrounding the purchase of a $19,000-plus lectern by the governor’s office are closer to being answered.

Arkansas Legislative Auditor Roger Norman confirmed that the draft audit report reviewing the lectern purchase is complete and has been delivered to Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders’ office. A response to the purchase by the office is due by Friday.

At issue is a custom lectern ordered in June for $19,029.25, a premium price. The purchase was made just before the governor’s trip to Paris from Beckett Events LLC of Virginia.

Beckett is an events management firm and its website does not list equipment sales as one of its services. GOP lobbyist Virginia Beckett owned the company and was a lobbyist while Sanders was President Donald Trump’s press secretary.

Beckett and a second woman Hanah Stone, who had a press role in the Trump administration, consulted for the governor’s January inauguration. Pictures they posted on social media show the two traveled to Paris at the same time as the Sanders-led Arkansas trade delegation.

Arkansas governor’s $19,000 lectern remains out of sight, but not out of mind with audit underway

Sen. Jimmy Hickey (R-Texarkana) requested the audit in September 2023 after questions were raised, including if documents related to the lectern’s purchase were altered as alleged by a whistle-blower attorney Tom Mars of Rogers.

Hickey’s request for an audit was approved in October.

The audit started last fall, and the auditors originally said it would be completed by the beginning of the year.

Auditors then reported in early February that they had been delayed.

Sanders has maintained the purchase was made in accordance with all regulations.

Legislative audit into purchase of lectern by Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders’ office delayed at least a month

This is a developing story. Please check back for further updates.

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