Prosecutor Decides Not to Pursue Charges in Gov. Sanders’ $19K Lectern Purchase Situation
A decision was made by a prosecutor on Friday not to press any criminal charges in relation to the controversy surrounding the purchase of a $19,000 lectern by the office of Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders.
An audit had determined that the purchase may have violated state laws on purchasing, state property, and government records. Despite this, Pulaski County Prosecutor Will Jones stated that after thoroughly reviewing the report and supporting documents, his office concluded that “criminal charges are not warranted.”
Jones elaborated in a letter to auditor Roger Norman, stating that there is “insufficient proof of criminal conduct.”
Alexa Henning, a spokeswoman for the governor, expressed that Jones’ review confirmed the governor’s office had followed the law, reimbursed the state with private funds, and believed the controversy to be unfounded.
The purchase of the lectern for Sanders, who previously served as press secretary for former President Donald Trump, generated widespread attention across various media outlets.
Following the controversy, the Republican Party of Arkansas reimbursed the state for the purchase and Sanders’ office clarified that the use of the state credit card was an accounting error.
Despite similar lectern models being available online for much less, the purchase of the $19,000 lectern raised questions and prompted the audit.
The audit also highlighted discrepancies in the handling of public records related to the purchase, which were contested by Sanders’ office and auditors.
Jones mentioned the ambiguity in Arkansas law regarding whether certain provisions apply to constitutional officers like the governor, leading to the decision not to pursue charges.
The letter from Jones concluded that due to conflicting interpretations of the law and insufficient evidence, there was no basis to prove a violation had occurred.
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