If you thought you heard a whisper in the wind, that was just Ben Carson letting you know that he’s trying to return the $31,000 dining set we recently found out the Department of Housing and Urban Development ordered for his office. (Yes, that comma is in the right place.)
“I was as surprised as anyone to find out that a $31,000 dining set had been ordered,” Carson said in a statement to CNN. “I have requested that the order be canceled. We will find another solution for the furniture replacement.”
Carson also appeared to place some of the blame on his wife. “My wife also looked at catalogues 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 added. “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.”
Earlier this week, news broke that HUD official Helen Foster filed a lawsuit alleging that she was demoted when she told her bosses there was a legal price limit to decor purchases for Carson’s office. Foster claims she was specifically told, “$5,000 will not even buy a decent chair.”
