What started out as simple questions by an Arkansas activist about the purchase of a $19,000 lectern by Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders (R) has grown into an investigation of her use of taxpayer money by fellow Republicans.
According to a report from the Washington Post, the former Donald Trump White House press secretary, who won election as governor of Arkansas in 2022, has seen her own party announce the investigation into her conduct in office.
As the report notes, "Arkansas Republicans on Thursday approved an audit of their governor’s purchases after a blogger’s open-records requests unleashed a political storm that has resulted in claims about the state altering public documents."
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At the center of the turmoil was the purchase of the expensive lectern, with the trouble for Sanders escalating when the governor's office was subsequently less than forthcoming with the details and Sanders blew off reporters' questions by flippantly stating, "I’m happy to connect you with the vendor that builds and puts these together, but it’s not really my area of specialty. I’m focused on things I’m good at. Building podiums is probably not one of them.”
That in turn, along with her decision to keep her travel plans and expenses hidden from the public, has led to Republicans in her state agreeing to investigate the former Trump official.
According to the Post, "In September, a whistleblower — a former state agency employee — came forward, alleging that the governor’s office had altered public records," adding, "In Arkansas, tampering with public records is a Class D felony punishable by up to six years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000."
The report notes that, on Thursday, an Arkansas legislative committee tasked with overseeing state agencies "voted to approve an audit into both the lectern and how public records are being released, which is expected to be completed by the end of the year according to Rep. Jimmy Gazaway (R), the committee’s co-chair.
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