Ben Carson Cleared Of Misconduct In Purchase $31,000 Dining Room Set For His Office

Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Ben Carson has been cleared of misconduct allegations after purchasing a $31,561 dining table set for his office in 2017.

A report published by the Inspector General confirms HUD officials used $31,561 of departmental funds to purchase new dining room furniture but notes that Carson canceled the order. Government agencies are required by law to notify Congress of furniture expenses exceeding $5,000.

According to CNN, the set included a table, sideboard and breakfront all in mahogany, as well as 10 mahogany chairs with a blue velvet finish. It was intended for the secretary’s dining room at department headquarters, to replace a set that was in a state of disrepair, a department official said last year.

“HUD did not ultimately purchase this furniture, and the procurement did not result in the expenditure of any departmental funds because it was canceled on March 1, 2018, at the direction of Secretary Carson in response to media reports about the procurement,” read the report. “We did not find sufficient evidence to substantiate allegations of misconduct on the part of Secretary Carson in connection with this procurement.”

Carson said he was “as surprised as anyone to find out that a $31,000 dining set had been ordered.”

He added that he left the stylistic choices to his wife, saying that “there’s probably no one in Washington who cares less about furniture than I do.”