Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson wants the order for a $31,000 dining set for his government office to be canceled amid criticism of the price.
“I was as surprised as anyone to find out that a $31,000 dining set had been ordered,” Carson said in the statement, provided to CNN by his longtime adviser Armstrong Williams.
“I have requested that the order be canceled. We will find another solution for the furniture replacement,” the statement continued.
Williams did not immediately return a request for comment from the Washington Examiner.
The mahogany dining set includes a table, sideboard, breakfront, and 10 chairs with velvet finish, according to CNN.
The furniture was not scheduled to be delivered until May, and HUD had not yet paid for the dining set.
Carson said his wife, Candy, had asked if “used furniture was an option.”
“My wife also looked at catalogs and wanted to be sure that the color of the chair fabric of any set that was chosen matched the rest of the decor,” he said.
“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,” Carson added.
Rep. Trey Gowdy, R-S.C., sent a letter to Carson on Wednesday after an agency employee Helen Foster claimed she was ousted from her position and then transferred because she refused to find a way to go above the $5,000 spending cap to redecorate Carson’s office.
Gowdy is requesting that Carson provide all documents and communications relating to Foster and the redecoration of Carson’s office.
