The audit of the governor’s office purchase of a $19,000 lectern likely won’t be done before the end of the year, the state’s legislative auditor told lawmakers Wednesday.
Legislative Joint Audit’s Executive Committee met for its first meeting since state legislators authorized the investigation into the $19,000 lectern Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders’ office purchased in June, which has become the center of public inquiry. The governor’s office used a state credit card to purchase the 39-inch custom Falcon Podium from Beckett Events, LLC of Arlington, Va.
Responding to a question about the timeline for the audit, auditor Roger Norman said despite an earlier estimation that the review would be completed before the end of the year the audit will likely take longer.
“Right now it’s just a matter of doing our due diligence and approaching things in a methodical manner, so we’re going to take whatever time it takes to do a thorough job,” said Norman, who did not provide a reason for why the audit may take longer than originally anticipated.
The Republican Party of Arkansas reimbursed the state for the purchase, with Sanders maintaining that no taxpayer dollars were used to purchase the lectern. However, state Sen. Jimmy Hickey, R-Texarkana, who made the request for the legislative audit, said last month since the purchase was made with a state credit card it is something worth investigating.