How Much Was Candy Carson Involved in the Notorious $31,000 Furniture Purchase?

Hilary Weaver
Updated

We first met Lacena “Candy” Carson on the campaign trail in 2016, when she stumped for her husband, then-presidential candidate Ben Carson. After Ben took a role as Donald Trump’s secretary for Housing and Urban Development, Candy became less visible than many Trumpworld spouses; she is mostly known as the accomplished violinist who played the national anthem at her husband’s campaign kickoff event, instead of, say, posing with money. That is, until the saga of the $31,000 dining-room set dominated headlines, and drew Candy Carson right back into the spotlight.

It’s been two weeks since The New York Times broke the news that Carson had tried to cancel an order for a $31,000 dining set for his office; Carson denied that he had any knowledge of the purchase when it was originally made. But newly released e-mails published by CNN reveal that the furniture was purchased based on “printouts of the furniture the secretary and Mrs. Carson picked out.” In addition, the initial Times report noted that a whistleblower claimed that Candy Carson had pressured her to find a way around a $5,000 limit on renovation expenses.

Even if she did allegedly do some behind-the-scenes pressuring of Carson staff, Candy Carson is still not letting on about how this table order really came to be. A H.U.D. spokesperson blamed the order on a Carson staffer, per CNN.

“The secretary did not order a new table,” this person said. “The table was ordered by the career staffers in charge of the building.” On Tuesday, H.U.D. spokesman Raffi Williams said that Candy Carson did have somewhat of a hand in the process, if only vaguely.

“When presented with options by professional staff, Mrs. Carson participated in the selection of specific styles,” he said.

“The Greatest Carny Show on Earth”: Inside CPAC, the Super Bowl for Trump Supporters

Roger Stone at the Free Our Internet party.
Roger Stone at the Free Our Internet party.
Photograph by Amy Lombard.
John Cox, who is running for governor of California, at the Free Our Internet party.
John Cox, who is running for governor of California, at the Free Our Internet party.
Photograph by Amy Lombard.
<cite class="credit">Photograph by Amy Lombard.</cite>
Photograph by Amy Lombard.
<cite class="credit">Photograph by Amy Lombard.</cite>
Photograph by Amy Lombard.
Raheem Kassam of Breitbart London.
Raheem Kassam of Breitbart London.
Photograph by Amy Lombard.
Ted Cruz takes a selfie.
Ted Cruz takes a selfie.
Photograph by Amy Lombard.
Trump points fingers.
Trump points fingers.
Photograph by Amy Lombard.
Kellyanne Conway
Kellyanne Conway
Photograph by Amy Lombard.
<cite class="credit">Photograph by Amy Lombard.</cite>
Photograph by Amy Lombard.
<cite class="credit">Photograph by Amy Lombard.</cite>
Photograph by Amy Lombard.
<cite class="credit">Photograph by Amy Lombard.</cite>
Photograph by Amy Lombard.
Sebastian Gorka at meet and greet for Pastor Mark Burns, who is running for Congress.
Sebastian Gorka at meet and greet for Pastor Mark Burns, who is running for Congress.
Photograph by Amy Lombard.
FCC chairman Ajit Pai.
FCC chairman Ajit Pai.
Photograph by Amy Lombard.
Marion Maréchal-Le Pen
Marion Maréchal-Le Pen
Photograph by Amy Lombard.
Wayne LaPierre on stage giving a fervent speech.
Wayne LaPierre on stage giving a fervent speech.
Photograph by Amy Lombard.
<cite class="credit">Photograph by Amy Lombard.</cite>
Photograph by Amy Lombard.
<cite class="credit">Photograph by Amy Lombard.</cite>
Photograph by Amy Lombard.
President Trump speaks to the crowds.
President Trump speaks to the crowds.
Photograph by Amy Lombard.
<cite class="credit">Photograph by Amy Lombard.</cite>
Photograph by Amy Lombard.
Nigel Farage
Nigel Farage
Photograph by Amy Lombard.
Mike and Karen Pence greet the CPAC crowd.
Mike and Karen Pence greet the CPAC crowd.
Photograph by Amy Lombard.
<cite class="credit">Photograph by Amy Lombard.</cite>
Photograph by Amy Lombard.
<cite class="credit">Photograph by Amy Lombard.</cite>
Photograph by Amy Lombard.
<cite class="credit">Photograph by Amy Lombard.</cite>
Photograph by Amy Lombard.
Grover Glenn Norquist at the Americans For Tax Reform party.
Grover Glenn Norquist at the Americans For Tax Reform party.
Photograph by Amy Lombard.
Lucian Wintrich at the Free Our Internet party.
Lucian Wintrich at the Free Our Internet party.
Photograph by Amy Lombard.
<cite class="credit">Photograph by Amy Lombard.</cite>
Photograph by Amy Lombard.
<cite class="credit">Photograph by Amy Lombard.</cite>
Photograph by Amy Lombard.
<cite class="credit">Photograph by Amy Lombard.</cite>
Photograph by Amy Lombard.
<cite class="credit">Photograph by Amy Lombard.</cite>
Photograph by Amy Lombard.