Shopping around could have saved Carson grief
Let’s say you’re a Trump administration official with old dining room furniture in your Washington executive suite. What do you do?
In the case of Ben Carson, secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development, his staff declared the circa 1967 dining set was beyond repair and spent $ 31,561 on a custom hardwood table, chairs, and a hutch to replace it.
A federal law limits spending for redecorating or refurbishing to $ 5,000 unless Congress approves more. But whistle- blower complaints filed by Helen Foster, a highranking HUD civil servant, allege that a top official repeatedly told Foster to “find money” for the purchase.
Foster’s complaints charge that Carson’s wife, Candy, wanted to help redecorate the office suite. Foster was demoted in reprisal after she raised questions about the work and other HUD spending, the complaints allege.
Carson is at least the fourth Trump Cabinet member to face questions about his spending.
HUD declined to comment on Foster’s complaints. It has canceled the order.
Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, a government watchdog organization, asked HUD Inspector General Helen Albert to investigate Foster’s allegations.
Could Carson and HUD have gotten a better deal for taxpayers? USA TODAY online comparison shopping identified less- pricey options.
On the higher end, Raymour & Flanigan, a furniture chain with stores in seven Northeast states, offers a 98inch, cherry- colored dining table with a double pedestal for $ 3,379. Matching armchairs are $ 759.95 each. A 92inch- high china cabinet for $ 5,869 would complete the set.
According to the furniture company’s website, the price tag for the table, eight chairs and the hutch, without tax or delivery charges, totals $ 15,329, or less than half the cost of Carson’s dining set. Still too expensive? American Signature, a furniture company with stores in 17 states, sells a charcoal- colored dining table with two pedestals and matching upholstered side chairs. Together with a combination buffet and hutch, the table and eight chairs would cost approximately $ 2,708, without taxes or delivery fees, its website shows. That would comply with the federal spending limit on redecorations.
Charles Krewson, a Washingtonbased interior designer and decorator, said he would explore refinishing the existing dining set. “A clever refinisher can really transform things, and so can a good upholsterer,” he said.
“Usually people of means in a situation like that actually pay for it themselves, that’s what I’ve had happen in the past,” he said. “Someone who’s an honorary ambassador or something like that, they usually pick up a lot of the tab and just improve things.”