Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson has reportedly hired Alfonso Costa Jr., the son of a man Carson has previously described as his “closest friend,” to serve as his deputy chief of staff.
Sources familiar with the hire told CNN Wednesday that Costa Jr. will join HUD in the coming weeks to replace Deana Bass, Carson’s former press secretary during the 2016 campaign.
When asked by the Washington Examiner about Carson’s relationship with Costa Sr., HUD spokesman Raffi Williams responded, “The Secretary looks forward to having him [Costa Jr.] serve as trusted and valued adviser.”
“Aflonso Costa Jr. is a graduate of Yale, Oxford and Harvard Law,” he continued. “If his academic achievements are any indication of success, we are confident he will make significant contributions to the Department.”
Carson’s tenure at HUD has been plagued by minor scandals, most notably the purchase of a table for his office, which cost taxpayers $31,000.
The HUD secretary brushed off the large-ticket item after news broke by saying that he isn’t “into decorating” and allowed his wife to handle the office decor.
“The next thing that I, quite frankly, heard about it was that this $31,000 table had been bought,” he explained of the purchase back in March. “I investigated it, immediately had it canceled. Not that we don’t need the furniture, but I thought that that was excessive.”
