Article snippet: The Department of Housing and Urban Development spent more than $31,000 on a new table and chairs for the dining room adjacent to Secretary Ben Carson's office — revelations that came just months after an official that warned against high expenses was moved to a new role within the department. The former senior HUD official, Helen Foster, has since filed a complaint that she was demoted in retaliation for raising concerns about granting extra funds to redecorate Carson's office and other issues within the department. "Its a real shame that an agency that is supposed to be looking after the poorest of the poor are more interested in looking after what their office looks like," Foster told ABC News in an interview. The day before President Donald Trump was sworn into office then-Acting HUD Secretary Craig Clemmensen allegedly told Foster to help then nominee Ben Carson's wife, Candy Carson, redecorate the secretary's office at HUD. When Foster responded that legally there was a $5,000 limit Clemmensen responded that the "Administration has always found ways around that in the past," according to the complaint. Federal law requires officials to notify the House and Senate Appropriations committees about any furniture or decorating expense higher than $5,000, according to an internal HUD memo Foster provided to ABC News. The memo also says that the rule applies to the "entire suite of offices" and any other space used by the individual. Foster's complaint... Link to the full article to read more