Sarah Huckabee Sanders

ethics-violation · 2023-06-01 · In June 2023, Sanders' office used a state credit card to buy a custom lectern and road case for $19,029.25 from Beckett Events LLC, a Virginia firm run by a former colleague of Sanders from her time as White House press secretary. After the purchase became public in October 2023, it emerged the Republican Party of Arkansas had reimbursed the state in September 2023, shortly before the purchase came to light. A whistleblower, represented by attorney Tom Mars, alleged in September 2023 that Sanders' staff — including Communications Director Alexa Henning — altered and withheld records related to the purchase, including handwritten alterations to invoice copies, in response to public-records requests. The Arkansas Legislative Audit's April 2024 report found several instances of potential noncompliance with state law: paying for the lectern before delivery, improperly capitalizing it as an operating expense, improper record-keeping, multiple altered copies of the invoice, and the shredding of the lectern's bill of lading. The audit was referred to the state Attorney General and the Pulaski County (Sixth Judicial District) Prosecuting Attorney. In June 2024, the Sixth Judicial Prosecuting Attorney concluded its investigation and determined no criminal charges were warranted. · No criminal charges filed after prosecutorial review; audit found potential state-law noncompliance in the purchase, record-keeping, and document handling; cost was reimbursed to the state by the Arkansas Republican Party.

Sources: NPR · Arkansas Advocate · Arkansas Advocate · ABC News · KATV

abuse-of-office · 2025-09-15 · After legislative vacancies arose in Senate District 26 (Libertarian nominee Colt Shelby's suit) and House District 70 (Democratic Party of Arkansas suit, joined by four voters), Gov. Sanders scheduled the special general elections for June 9, 2026 — after the Legislature's 2026 fiscal session, which plaintiffs argued would leave the districts without representation during that session ('taxation without representation'). Arkansas law requires the governor to schedule a special election within 150 days of a vacancy unless doing so is 'impracticable or unduly burdensome,' after which the election must be held on the earliest practicable date. Pulaski County Circuit Judge Shawn Johnson (HD 70) and another Pulaski County circuit judge (SD 26) each ruled in October 2025 that Sanders' chosen dates violated the statute and ordered her to move the elections up to March 3, 2026. Sanders and Attorney General Tim Griffin sought a stay from the Arkansas Supreme Court, which was denied in November 2025; plaintiffs also moved to hold Sanders and the Secretary of State in contempt for not complying with the October 31 order. Sanders then rescheduled the elections to March 3, 2026 while publicly calling the court orders 'unlawful,' and pursued appeals of both rulings. In May 2026, after the elections had already taken place, the Arkansas Supreme Court dismissed her appeals as moot, leaving the circuit courts' findings that she violated the special-election statute intact. · Circuit courts ruled Sanders violated Arkansas special-election scheduling law and ordered her to reschedule two special elections to March 3, 2026; she complied under court order. The Arkansas Supreme Court denied her request to stay the orders and later dismissed her appeals as moot rather than reviewing the merits, leaving the adverse circuit-court rulings undisturbed.

Sources: Arkansas Advocate · Arkansas Advocate · Arkansas Advocate · Arkansas Advocate · Arkansas Advocate