Arkansas Governor’s Office Questioned Over $19K Lectern Purchase

Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders’ office says the lectern was a legitimate purchase and disputes claims that any laws were potentially broken.

A blue and wood-paneled lectern sits in the governor's conference room at the Arkansas State Capitol on Tuesday, April 16, 2024. The purchase of the $19,000 lectern has sparked controversy. AP Photo/Andrew DeMillo

Arkansas lawmakers questioned Republican Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders’ staff about the purchase of a $19,000 lectern after an audit showed potential non-compliance with the state’s law on purchasing, property, and government records.

On Tuesday, during a nearly three-hour hearing before the Legislative Joint Auditing Committee, the first-term governor’s top aides faced scrutiny from lawmakers, including some Republicans, over the purchase.