Department of Housing and Urban Development investigators could not conclude that Secretary Ben Carson was guilty of acting improperly when he attempted to purchase a $31,000 dining room set for his office in 2017, according to the New York Times.
What We Know:
- Carson didn’t follow federal laws that stop purchases of more than $5,000 on office furniture without congressional approval.
- Investigators placed the blame on department officials for allowing the purchase to occur and not on Carson. After receiving backlash, Carson requested that the order be canceled.
- Carson defended his attempted purchase by saying the Trump administration was proposing deep cuts to the department’s programs helping the poor. He later complained the investigation cost him personally $60,000 and that the department spent over $700,000.
- Freedom of Information Act revealed Mr. Carson and his wife picked out the furniture.
In an interview with Fox Business Network on Thursday, Carson stated: “There’s probably no one in Washington who cares less about furniture than I do.”
