AG opinion that rules don't apply to Gov. Sanders in #lecterngate is largely irrelevant
Sanders and Griffin are teeing up a Trump-style argument to muddy the waters.
arktimes.com
Late yesterday, attorney Tom Mars broke the news on Twitter that Attorney General Tim Griffin had issued an official opinion, at the behest of Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders, regarding whether the governor’s office had to follow general state procurement rules. Griffin’s conclusion — that Sanders and other constitutional officers do not have to abide by purchasing and property-disposal rules that state agencies must follow — has some people worried Sanders is trying to avoid accountability for the purchase of a $19,000 lectern from Sanders’ friend, Virginia Beckett.
This concern is understandable. This opinion dropped less than two weeks after Sanders submitted her response to the draft Legislative Audit report and just before the final report is supposed to be released.
While it remains to be seen whether Sanders is ultimately held accountable for anything, the (somewhat) good news is there are at least four reasons why Griffin’s opinion will have little practical bearing on that outcome.
1. Griffin’s opinion is irrelevant to the main issues of the audit.
Sanders asked Griffin to opine on whether “constitutional officers” such as herself are bound by the General Accounting and Budgetary Procedures Law and whether they are subject to the requirements of Ark. Code Ann. § 25-8-106, which governs how the state can market or redistribute state property. Ignoring several flaws with the conclusions prepared by Deputy Attorney General Noah P. Watson (addressed below), Griffin said constitutional officers are not bound by either statute.
