That’s because Carson’s wife was responsible for the decision, the secretary said at a congressional hearing on Tuesday. The steep cost raised ethics concerns for exceeding the $5,000 federal limit on office decor, especially in light of the agency’s proposed budget cuts. Additionally, when The New York Times first reported on the extravagant purchase, HUD spokesman Raffi Williams told the paper that Carson did not think the purchase was over-the-top and did not intend to return the furniture set. Foster said she was demoted after raising concerns about the office decor expense exceeding the $5,000 federal limit. The Times reported the complaint also accused Candy of pressuring the HUD staff to find ways to get around the price limit.

Source: Huffington Post March 20, 2018 21:45 UTC