REUTERS/Joshua Roberts
Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson is cancelling an order for a $31,000 dining set for his office, according to a statement obtained by CNN. "I was as surprised as anyone to find out that a $31,000 dining set had been ordered," the statement from Carson read. "I made it known that I was not happy about the prices being charged and that my preference would be to find something more reasonable.” The mahogany dining set in question included a “table, sideboard, breakfront,” and 10 “chairs with a blue velvet finish.” The owner of the interior design firm that HUD purchased the set from said the agency wanted something “traditional,” and she “worked online with her contact at HUD to sort through their options.” She also said the agency was looking for new furniture because “a new secretary was coming in and the current furniture was old and it was raggedy.” Carson claimed that the old dining set was “unsafe,” and so damaged that it could not be repaired. This comes after a string of negative stories surfaced about HUD’s spending, which has reportedly made the White House “furious.”