Candy Carson pushes back after $31K dining set criticism

Candy Carson is pushing back against criticism of her involvement in the purchase of an expensive furniture set for Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson’s office.

Ben Carson said in a House Appropriations Committee hearing this week that his wife Candy made the final decision to buy a $31,000 dining set, which has drawn criticism about wasteful spending,.

In a tweet, Candy Carson said she is not a victim and that she and her husband support one another.

“Although many in the media would like to depict me as a victim who was “thrown under the bus”, Ben and I are enjoying our 43rd year of marriage and we fully support each other in all endeavors and will continue to do so,” Candy Carson wrote from her and Ben Carson’s joint Twitter account.

Although many in the media would like to depict me as a victim who was “thrown under the bus”, Ben and I are enjoying our 43rd year of marriage and we fully support each other in all endeavors and will continue to do so pic.twitter.com/Lj2NUi8VHC

— Ben & Candy Carson (@RealBenCarson) March 23, 2018

Ben Carson said he initially asked his wife to help with redecorating the office, something usually done by new agency heads. Candy then pushed the secretary to redecorate the office’s dining room, citing concerns over unstable chairs and exposed nails on the furniture. 

“The next thing that I, quite frankly, heard about it was this $31,000 table had been bought. I said ‘what the heck is this all about?’ ” Carson said. “I investigated and I immediately had it canceled,” the secretary explained to the House panel. 

The purchase also exceeded the $5,000 legal limit above which congressional approval is required for purchases.