The Arkansas Times reports:
An anonymous former state employee came forward Friday claiming to have evidence that the Arkansas governor’s office doctored documents and unlawfully withheld financial records that should have been made public under the Arkansas Freedom of Information Act, or FOIA.
Attorney Tom Mars, who is representing the whistleblower, sent a letter today to Sen. Jimmy Hickey (R-Texarkana) offering to have his client speak to auditors. Hickey yesterday requested that Legislative Audit, a nonpartisan agency independent from the executive branch, look into what’s come to be known as “podiumgate.”
The controversy concerns the $19,000 purchase of a lectern (or podium) by the governor’s office from an out-of-state events company earlier this year, as well as Gov. Sarah Sanders’ successful efforts to newly block access to certain governmental records.
Read the full article. As I reported on Friday, some believe Sanders invented the $19,000 purchase to cover the cost of a trip to Paris with two of her girlfriends, one of whom was involved in Stop The Steal. The irony. When questions were raised, the state GOP quickly stepped in to pay the bill.
The latest turn in #podiumgate:
An anonymous former state employee, represented by @TomMarsLaw, claims to have evidence Gov. Sarah Sanders’ office unlawfully altered documents and withheld records that should have been made public under the FOIA.https://t.co/fSKViChPVB
— Arkansas Times (@ArkTimes) September 29, 2023
Photo of the $19,029.25 lectern purchased by the Sanders administration in June. The expense was reimbursed by the Republican Party of Arkansas, according to records. #arpx #Arkansas #ARNews pic.twitter.com/mERP6QvHHP
— AR Democrat-Gazette (@ArkansasOnline) September 26, 2023
Sarah Sanders went on an all expense paid girls trip to Paris! Didn’t want it to show up in records, so MADE UP an imaginary $19,000 lecturn to cover cost of trip! THEN panicked, called an emergency session of the #Republican legislature to cover up the fraud!#Podiumgate https://t.co/va0jje9U4D
— Oh you, oh yeah? I support UAW STRIKE (@foolm1ns) September 26, 2023
Spending 19k on a “lectern”= bad. Paying a buddy’s new consulting company—b/c the old one was dissolved after your partner was subpoenaed for planning Jan 6th— 19k & pretending it was for a “lectern”=worse. Calling a special session to gut FOIA to cover it all up=FBI. #podiumgate
— Angie Maxwell (@AngieMaxwell1) October 1, 2023
A lawyer for the tipster says they have new evidence around the purchase of a $19,000 lectern.https://t.co/JNOiKWIlty
— The Daily Beast (@thedailybeast) October 1, 2023
This mess @SarahHuckabee finds herself in is just so fittingly … stupid. Seems like it’s going to be fun to watch this scandal unfold. https://t.co/2DCDLskE67
— Xeorge Xonway (@gtconway3d) October 1, 2023
Dear Governor:
Can you or your BFF and former campaign worker Virginia Beckett please let us see (and inspect) the receipt for whatever amount of money Ms. Beckett paid for the custom Falcon lectern for which your office paid her >$19K?
Asking for 3.026 million Arkansans.
TM
— Tom Mars (@TomMarsLaw) October 1, 2023