While the GOP is busy looking at private citizen Hunter they are missing real government corruption going on in their back yard. Ark Gov Sara Sanders was caught trying to steal $20k for a friend's vacation and has repaid it like its no big deal. The grift runs deep in the GOP. They are guilty of that which they accuse.
#Podiumgate by the dates
June 14: Gov. Sarah Sanders leaves for Europe on a trade mission to encourage overseas investors to bring their business to Arkansas and meet with aerospace industry representatives at the Paris Air Show. On its face, this is a fair reason for an overseas trip â aerospace and defense make up about 15-20% of Arkansasâ exports, so itâs important for our economy to keep those relationships healthy. Commerce Secretary Hugh McDonald and Arkansas Economic Development Commission Executive Director Clint OâNeal went with her on the trip. She was scheduled to return the following week. Alexa Henning, representing the governorâs office, said that the costs for the trip wouldnât be calculated until the group returned.
Late June: After the governor returned, blogger Matt Campbell of Blue Hog Report filed a series of FOIA requests seeking expenditure reports for the governorâs trip. Arkansas State Police (ASP) provided him with only some of the information he requested. The police left out information regarding flight logs, expenses, communication logs, and other information that would normally fall under FOIA. Lawyers for ASP claimed that these records were exempt under a statute that protected information relating to the governorâs safety, but Campbell pointed out that the statute only relates to safety protocols protecting the Governorâs Mansion. Campbell says he gave ASP several opportunities to correct their mistake.
After a series of FOIA requests, a strange charge for nearly $20,000 was discovered in Sandersâ expense reports. The podium has yet to be produced or photographed and employees struggled to categorize the purchase. The company the podium supposedly came from is owned by a woman whoâs been a long-time GOP lobbyist and who worked with a woman subpoenaed as part of investigations into Jan. 6. Contact information for the company is inconsistent. The two women also were in Paris at the same time the governor was after having worked for six weeks on the governorâs inauguration.
So what this looks like to us is that the governor paid nearly $20,000 to two women friendly with the governor to get them to Paris on taxpayersâ dime, claimed it was for a podium, a picture of which has not yet been produced, then convinced the ARGOP to reimburse the state to try and cover it up.
- The governor paid two women tied to Jan. 6th $20,000 of taxpayer money.
- The governorâs office claimed the $20k expense was for a podium/lectern.
- The podium/lectern has not been seen; many speculate it doesnât exist and the $20k paid for the governorâs Jan. 6 acquaintances to join her in Paris.
- The ARGOP reimbursed the state for the purchase only after the state was FOIAâd for their expenses.
- The whole thing looks and smells like a good old fashioned coverup.
#Podiumgate by the dates
June 14: Gov. Sarah Sanders leaves for Europe on a trade mission to encourage overseas investors to bring their business to Arkansas and meet with aerospace industry representatives at the Paris Air Show. On its face, this is a fair reason for an overseas trip â aerospace and defense make up about 15-20% of Arkansasâ exports, so itâs important for our economy to keep those relationships healthy. Commerce Secretary Hugh McDonald and Arkansas Economic Development Commission Executive Director Clint OâNeal went with her on the trip. She was scheduled to return the following week. Alexa Henning, representing the governorâs office, said that the costs for the trip wouldnât be calculated until the group returned.
Late June: After the governor returned, blogger Matt Campbell of Blue Hog Report filed a series of FOIA requests seeking expenditure reports for the governorâs trip. Arkansas State Police (ASP) provided him with only some of the information he requested. The police left out information regarding flight logs, expenses, communication logs, and other information that would normally fall under FOIA. Lawyers for ASP claimed that these records were exempt under a statute that protected information relating to the governorâs safety, but Campbell pointed out that the statute only relates to safety protocols protecting the Governorâs Mansion. Campbell says he gave ASP several opportunities to correct their mistake.
After a series of FOIA requests, a strange charge for nearly $20,000 was discovered in Sandersâ expense reports. The podium has yet to be produced or photographed and employees struggled to categorize the purchase. The company the podium supposedly came from is owned by a woman whoâs been a long-time GOP lobbyist and who worked with a woman subpoenaed as part of investigations into Jan. 6. Contact information for the company is inconsistent. The two women also were in Paris at the same time the governor was after having worked for six weeks on the governorâs inauguration.
So what this looks like to us is that the governor paid nearly $20,000 to two women friendly with the governor to get them to Paris on taxpayersâ dime, claimed it was for a podium, a picture of which has not yet been produced, then convinced the ARGOP to reimburse the state to try and cover it up.
