I know it’s silly of me to keep focusing on Ben Carson’s dining room set, but I can’t help myself. He’s been caught in a giant lie.
Newly released emails cast doubt on claims by Secretary Ben Carson and his spokesman that he had little or no involvement in the purchase of a $31,000 furniture set for his Department of Housing and Urban Development dining room.
The documents were released following a Freedom of Information Act request from American Oversight, a liberal watchdog group led by former Obama administration officials, and offer a snapshot into how the agency acquired the furniture.
HUD spokesman Raffi Williams initially denied the Carsons had any involvement in the dining set selection.
“Mrs. Carson and the secretary had no awareness that the table was being purchased,” he told CNN last month.A HUD spokesman went further at the time, blaming the purchase on an unnamed career staffer. “The secretary did not order a new table. The table was ordered by the career staffers in charge of the building,” he said.
The truth is completely different. They could have repaired the rickety chairs. They got a quote for $1,100 to do just that. Instead, they decided to go for a total redecoration.
Several months after considering repairs to the dining set in early August, HUD’s scheduling office reached out to Candy Carson, the secretary’s wife.
“Hi Mrs. Carson!” the scheduler wrote. “There is a designer who will be in town next week on the 15th-17th to look at possibly redecorating the Secretary’s office and bringing in new furniture. Are you available on any of those dates and would you like to come in and have input on the redecorating?”
It even looks like Ben Carson wanted some bar carts, but I guess that wasn’t in the budget.
The career administration staffer sent the quote to Carson’s office, specifically Carson’s chief of staff and his executive assistant, casting further doubt on the agency’s assertion that the purchase was made entirely by career staff.
“Below is the price quote for all of the dining room furniture. I think this is a very reasonable price and the funds are available,” the career official wrote.
“We also have a justification for the cost (as you know, the furniture hasn’t been changed since 1988) so this should not be a problem,” she added.
In one email chain, the interior designer offered HUD officials links to two different bar carts and a bar cabinet that did not end up being part of the final purchase. An email shows the serving cart options came at the request of “leadership,” but it doesn’t specify who specifically made the request.
This obviously isn’t a frugal use of taxpayer dollars, but it doesn’t really concern me that they wanted to spruce up the place a bit. What bothers me is the lying and the attempt to blame career staff for decisions made by Secretary Carson and his wife.
Ben Carson carries himself like he’s a very pious man with a lot of personal rectitude, but he doesn’t act that way if your ask me.
In the MAGA/deplorable hive mind career staff = “deep state” so of course Carson went with that. This was all a deep state/liberal plot to embarrass Trump!
that, plus what else could he say?
i think you are missing the point. if ben had not lied and stole from the taxpayers then trump would have removed him for somebody that would.
In Carson’s home there hangs a giant painting of Ben with Jesus behind him looking over his shoulder – presumably how he sees himself.
Oh, come on! Let the man have some nice things! He must be exhausted after swinging the hatchet on programs for fair housing and urban development! It’s stressful to constantly suck at your job and I’m sure Ben needs to kick back in his luxury digs every now and again. Let,s get him those drink carts, too!
Yet again, the “party of personal responsibility” takes none.
It’s also probably not a good idea to treat your workers like crap for purely moral reasons. Also, if something were to happen to you, they won’t rush to defend you and will just let you dangle. Does anyone in this administration, knowing about how the prevalence of leaks, have the foresight to wonder, “What’s the worst thing that could happen?”
At this point in the trajectory of FailedNation, Inc., Repub and “conservative” grifters have such a predilection for lies that they vastly prefer them even when the truth is available and would offer a complete defense. A newly installed HUD secretary likely should have discretion to replace a 30 year old furniture set upon assuming the position. It wouldn’t be outrageous–unless you have spent your entire life vomiting out (phony) outrage over Evil Big Gub’mint! and “Waste, Fraud and Abuse!”(tm)
The Elmer Gantry Hypocrisy Syndrome bites a “conservative” grifter in the ass again. They can’t stop following the Nixon Playbook’s recommendations on cover-ups–that’s the evangelical politician’s REAL bible, ha-ha. Like bad, bad dogs who just can’t keep away from the enticing turds in the cat’s litter box, the succulent lie tempts them every time!
“Ben Carson carries himself like he’s a very pious man with a lot of personal rectitude…
He does? Not so I noticed, but I confess I haven’t spent much time watching him on tv or whatever.
For me, Carson has always seemed like the ultimate grifter, but then again, he’s a Republican, so I guess I just always assume con-artist/grifter as the default.
The cost of the furniture isn’t totally egregious in the scheme of things, but as others have posited, it’s the hypocrisy, stupid. But I guess I’m just so inured to the ongoing waste and hypocrisy that I’m not surprised anymore. Just figure it’s the default.
Carson is a little lying thief, but then, so is everyone else affiliated with Trump.
P.S. that super weird painting of Carsen with “Jesus” looks mighty weird to me… sorta like they just had it on and were about to smoke a cigarrette. Nothing particularly “spiritual” or whatever from where I sit. It’s weird.
Oh the horrors of having to live with furniture from :::gasp::: 1988!