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submitted 7 months ago by MicroWave@lemmy.world to c/news@lemmy.world

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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[-] ThePowerOfGeek@lemmy.world 65 points 7 months ago

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!

[-] circuscritic@lemmy.ca 59 points 7 months ago

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.

[-] modeler@lemmy.world 35 points 7 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.

[-] FuglyDuck@lemmy.world 11 points 7 months ago

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

[-] Cornelius_Wangenheim@lemmy.world 31 points 7 months ago

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

[-] circuscritic@lemmy.ca 3 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago)

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.

[-] FuglyDuck@lemmy.world 1 points 7 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.

[-] Jimmycakes@lemmy.world 8 points 7 months ago

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

[-] AnUnusualRelic@lemmy.world 5 points 7 months ago

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!

[-] macaro@lemmy.blahaj.zone 3 points 7 months ago

Lecture 2.0 Advanced Ultra Pro

[-] Hobbes_Dent@lemmy.world 6 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago)

A blue 1970s Ikea idea.

[-] ParabolicMotion@lemmy.world 42 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago)

I’d be looking into what company manufactures that $19,000 lectern and then research who owns that company. There is a reason someone shells out that much money on a typically cheap item.

Edit: Here is a link to the profile of the CEO of Beckett Events (company that sold the $19,000 podium). https://www.linkedin.com/in/virginia-beckett-3a940423

[-] etceterar@kbin.social 28 points 7 months ago

She "bought" the lectern from a friend of hers, then she and the friend took a trip to Paris with the money (is the word on the street in Little Rock).

[-] vaultdweller013@sh.itjust.works 8 points 7 months ago

Hell yeah little rock I got kin there. I aint got anything else polite to say bout little rock.

[-] Letstakealook@lemm.ee 4 points 7 months ago

I visited once beautiful city, plenty to do, and the classic fake nice of southerners.

[-] vaultdweller013@sh.itjust.works 4 points 7 months ago

Aye fucken hate fake southern niceness. Plenty prefer California apathy.

[-] FuglyDuck@lemmy.world 15 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago)

Lecterns aren’t inexpensive. A good one will go for 2-5k, easy.

Though they are far from 19k. Iirc, the guy is a friend of the goobenor, and that one goes for line 500 on Amazon.

[-] FlyingSquid@lemmy.world 10 points 7 months ago

Though they are far from 19k.

You're leaving out the blue paint. That probably cost at least $10,000. It definitely doesn't look like they got the cheapest color at Walmart.

[-] bulwark@lemmy.world 23 points 7 months ago

What if it was a really fancy lectern?

[-] FlyingSquid@lemmy.world 9 points 7 months ago

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

[-] ClanOfTheOcho@lemmy.world 5 points 7 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!

[-] Zipitydew@sh.itjust.works 5 points 7 months ago

The government doesn't want you to know this.

[-] Starkstruck@lemmy.world 19 points 7 months ago

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.

[-] azimir@lemmy.ml 2 points 7 months ago

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

[-] blazera@lemmy.world 18 points 7 months ago

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

[-] badbytes@lemmy.world 15 points 7 months ago

Turns out financial fraud, really is a crime.

[-] dylanmorgan@slrpnk.net 11 points 7 months ago

Also, that lectern is ugly as shit.

[-] 42yeah@lemm.ee 7 points 7 months ago

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

[-] Whitebelt_Dural 1 points 7 months ago

Something something money can't buy taste?

[-] plantedworld@lemmy.world 11 points 7 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

[-] sirico@feddit.uk 10 points 7 months ago

Weird how it looks like a 1k lectern

[-] frezik@midwest.social 2 points 7 months ago

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.

[-] halferect@lemmy.world 3 points 7 months ago

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

[-] tiefling@lemmy.blahaj.zone 3 points 7 months ago

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

[-] ClanOfTheOcho@lemmy.world 1 points 7 months ago

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

[-] cybervseas@lemmy.world 9 points 7 months ago

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

[-] someguy3@lemmy.ca 7 points 7 months ago

Did it come with a Civic?

[-] Feathercrown@lemmy.world 7 points 7 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"

[-] cosmicrookie@lemmy.world 4 points 7 months ago

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

[-] BigMacHole@lemm.ee 3 points 7 months ago

Using MY money to Break Laws is MUCH more Preferable then having a Black Man run the state!

-Not Racist Republicans.

this post was submitted on 16 Apr 2024
351 points (99.4% liked)

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