this post was submitted on 16 Apr 2024
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Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders ' office potentially violated state laws on purchasing, state property and government records when it purchased a $19,000 lectern for the Republican governor that’s prompted nationwide attention, an audit requested by lawmakers said Monday.

Legislative auditors referred the findings in the long-awaited audit of the lectern to local prosecutors and the attorney general, and lawmakers planned to hold a hearing Tuesday on the report. The report cited several potential legal violations, including paying for the lectern before it was delivered and the handling of records regarding the purchase. 

Sanders’ office, which has dismissed questions about the lectern, called the audit’s findings “deeply flawed” and a “waste of taxpayer resources and time.”

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[–] [email protected] 64 points 4 months ago (3 children)

How the hell did that thing cost $19k? It looks like something you'd get from a 1970s Ikea.

Ohh right... Nepotism and/or money laundering!

[–] [email protected] 57 points 4 months ago (2 children)

None of the above. It was used to hide improper/illegal expenditures. If I recall correctly it was vacation expenses, or something else that stupid. Basically lecturn cost $1k or $2k, and the rest got funneled back to cover those costs.

[–] [email protected] 34 points 4 months ago

That lectern as pictured is a cheap copy worth way less than $1000. The allegation is that she paid her friend for costs of a trip to Paris of which there are social media photos at expensive nightlife locations.

[–] [email protected] 11 points 4 months ago (2 children)

That’s…. Pretty much text book money laundering.

[–] [email protected] 30 points 4 months ago

It's embezzlement. Money laundering is taking illegally acquired money and making it appear to be legitimate.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago) (1 children)

It has literally nothing to do with money laundering.

It's theft/embezzlement, and probably some other financial fraud related crimes, none of which are money laundering.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 4 months ago

Not exactly.

They could have just straight up embezzled it. The purpose of buying something overpriced is to make that purchase seem reasonable on a line item.

The lectern itself is money laundering to cover up embezzlement, yes. Because some one is gonna notice 15k missing pretty quickly.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 4 months ago (1 children)

It's art ok. You wouldn't understand.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 4 months ago (1 children)

It's not just any lectern, it's an advanced lectern. You can put papers on it and stuff, it can even hold a microphone!

[–] [email protected] 3 points 4 months ago

Lecture 2.0 Advanced Ultra Pro

[–] [email protected] 6 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago)

A blue 1970s Ikea idea.

[–] [email protected] 23 points 4 months ago (1 children)

What if it was a really fancy lectern?

[–] [email protected] 9 points 4 months ago (2 children)

If you steal a lectern, it doesn't cost $19,000. This was Sarah's mistake.

[–] Zipitydew 5 points 4 months ago

The government doesn't want you to know this.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 4 months ago

Steal a $19,000 lectern? Nah, bro.

Steal $19,000 through buying overpriced office equipment with company funds from a friend who takes you on a fine Parisean experience with the profits? Yeah, boy!

[–] [email protected] 18 points 4 months ago

Its an audit, they know the law was violated. Theyre just not prosecutors.

[–] [email protected] 18 points 4 months ago (1 children)

They could've at least tried to hide the blatant money laundering with a nicer looking lectern. That thing looks straight out of a church basement from the 1970s.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 4 months ago

Of course, so are their ideas, so I guess it fits.

[–] [email protected] 15 points 4 months ago

Turns out financial fraud, really is a crime.

[–] [email protected] 11 points 4 months ago

That lectern isn't even wide enough to effectively hide an awkward boner from the whole room. Not the edges anyway. Poor design

[–] [email protected] 10 points 4 months ago (2 children)

Weird how it looks like a 1k lectern

[–] [email protected] 3 points 4 months ago (2 children)

Curves like that are always harder than simple angles. There had to be some level of skill involved. Not $17k in skill, though.

It also doesn't match its surroundings in any way, and it just plain tasteless.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 4 months ago

You can find this exact lectern on ebay for 1000, it's just not painted blue

[–] [email protected] 2 points 4 months ago

It looks like they forgot to remove the blue painter's tape

[–] [email protected] 1 points 4 months ago

Best I can do is $7.50. Act now, and I'll throw in a pack of gum to seal the deal.

[–] [email protected] 10 points 4 months ago (2 children)

Also, that lectern is ugly as shit.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 4 months ago

Yeah, I mean look at the thing. It feels cheap. No way it’s worth this much

[–] [email protected] 1 points 4 months ago

Something something money can't buy taste?

[–] [email protected] 9 points 4 months ago

"Deeply flawed" and "a waste of taxpayer resources and time" seems to describe her governorship better.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 4 months ago

My office, which knows Sanders' office is covering up a different purchase, called the audit's findings "encouraging" and "justice for taxpayers and voters"

[–] [email protected] 7 points 4 months ago

Did it come with a Civic?

[–] [email protected] 4 points 4 months ago

Let me guess ... they bought it off their son?