HUD Furniture Squabble Ends

By Johnnie Grant

Washington, DC – The pricey furniture order for HUD Secretary Ben Carson’s private dining room at the Department of Housing and Urban Development “has officially been canceled,” says the owner of the company that made the sale.

The furniture included a table, breakfront, a handful of sideboards, a three-piece set, crafted of mahogany with satin wood, with carved teardrop and dentil molding on the crown, and 10 mahogany chairs with blue velvet seats, all totaling a whopping $31,000.

HUD ordered the dining furniture in December which was scheduled for delivery in May.

Whether or not Carson’s executive suite was in need of a new look, he responded with a series of obfuscations and excuses. “I was as surprised as anyone to find out that a $31,000 dining set had been ordered, we will find another solution for the furniture replacement. I made it known that I was not happy about the prices being charged and that my preference is to find something more reasonable,” he said.

Reports revealed that Carson’s wife, Candy Carson, had pressured staffers to get around the spending limits in order to get the dining furniture, but after a staff whistleblower reported the expenditure, Ben Carson requested that the order be canceled. Former HUD Secretary Julian Castro said he had never had any problems with the present table.

Evelyn Sebree, of the interior design firm Sebree and Associates, said the company had waived the restocking fee for HUD, so none of the agency’s funds will be used for the order.

White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said the agency was “looking for another option that is much more responsible with taxpayer dollars.”