In February 2018, the Office of Inspector General (OIG) for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) received multiple complaints alleging that HUD’s Secretary, Dr. Benjamin S. Carson, Sr., may have violated federal appropriations law by causing the Department to purchase a new set of dining room furniture for his secretarial suite at a cost in excess of $31,000. Due to Secretary Carson’s position as a presidentially-appointed official, federal law requires the Department to provide advance notification to the House of Representatives and Senate Committees on Appropriations before obligating or expending funds in excess of $5,000 to redecorate, purchase furniture for, or make improvements to any portion of his office suite.