Pulaski County Circuit Court grants Attorney General's motion, dismisses blogger's lawsuit against Governor

LITTLE ROCK – Following the dismissal of attorney and blogger Matt Campbell’s lawsuit against Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders today by the Pulaski County Circuit Court, Attorney General Tim Griffin issued the following statement:

“This was the proper outcome for this baseless case after Mr. Campbell failed to serve process within 120 days of filing the complaint—the second time this year he has had a case dismissed for failure to serve process. It’s unfortunate that cases like this waste taxpayer dollars and clog up our judicial system.”

Campbell sued Governor Sanders last year over alleged violations of Arkansas’s Freedom of Information Act. A Pulaski County Circuit Court judge today granted a motion to dismiss made by the Office of the Attorney General, which was defending Governor Sanders in the case.

To read the judge’s order granting the motion to dismiss, click here.

For a printer-friendly version, click here.

Auditor: Investigation into Arkansas governor’s lectern purchase unlikely to end this year

From the Arkansas Advocate:

The investigation into Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders’ controversial lectern purchase and effort to shield records related to her security detail likely won’t be finished this year, the lead auditor at Arkansas’ nonpartisan agency that investigates government spending said Wednesday.

Sanders’ office drew widespread attention in September for the purchase of a $19,000 lectern and carrying case from a Virginia-based event design and management firm with political ties to Sanders.

Attorney and blogger Matt Campbell of the Blue Hog Report has spent months using the state Freedom of Information Act to report and scrutinize Sanders’ use of state funds and resources. He posted an invoice on X (formerly Twitter) on Sept. 15 that showed the lectern was purchased in June. (Campbell is now a reporter at the Arkansas Times.)

Auditor: Investigation into Arkansas governor’s lectern purchase unlikely to end this year

Arkansas Legislature

Frank Arey, a staff attorney with Arkansas Legislative Audit, discusses an ongoing audit into Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders’ controversial lectern purchase and effort to shield records related to her security detail before the Legislative Joint Auditing Executive Committee on Wednesday, November 8, 2023.

Gov. Sanders sued by blogger Matt Campbell over FOIA denial

by Roby Brock (roby@talkbusiness.net)

Blue Hog Report blogger and attorney Matt Campbell said he filed a lawsuit in Pulaski County Court late Tuesday (Oct. 24) against Gov. Sarah Sanders for her office’s denial of a request for documents under the Arkansas Freedom of Information Act.

The lawsuit, which Campbell said was filed late Tuesday afternoon but has not been processed by the court, claims the governor is in violation of the FOIA for not providing information requested. Sanders’ legal counsel, Cortney Kennedy, told Campbell the documents he was seeking are covered under the governor’s working papers exemption.

On Monday, Oct. 23, Campbell requested electronic copies by email of emails to or from First Gentleman Bryan Sanders, a copy of his Outlook calendar, and “bills of lading and other documents” that show the shipping or delivery of a $19,000 lectern ordered from Beckett Events.

Gov. Sanders sued by blogger Matt Campbell over FOIA denial