“Secretary of State John Thurston’s press secretary attended Mike Lindell’s election-fraud symposium last week in South Dakota at state expense. Press secretary Chris Powell said Friday that he went because a number of people asked Thurston’s office to attend the event. But Thurston’s Republican challenger, Rep. Mark Lowery of Maumelle, said he doesn’t believe state resources should have been used to attend the symposium” Arkansas Online reports.

“Lindell, founder and chief executive officer of My Pillow Inc., has promoted former President Donald Trump’s unsubstantiated allegations of widespread voter fraud in the 2020 election that Trump lost to President Joe BidenChris Powell said in a written statement that he attended the symposium in Sioux Falls, SD, from Aug. 10-12 because in the weeks and months leading up to the event, ‘the Secretary had numerous concerned constituents reach out and request that our office attend the conference.’ ‘Mike Lindell’s organization invited elected officials, media and cybersecurity professionals from all states to attend,’ Powell said in response to the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette’s query about who invited him to the symposium. Asked what he learned at the symposium, Powell said, ‘A mix of information was presented demonstrating different types of data analysis on the 2020 elections as well as historical election analysis.’ Asked whether Thurston agrees with Lindell’s claims that the 2020 election was rigged, Powell said that election processes and procedures vary from state to state, ‘therefore the Secretary feels that it would be inappropriate for him to comment on elections results of other states.'”