Carson’s Schedules Show Frequent Friday Florida Trips, Very Few Staff Meetings

WASHINGTON, DC - MARCH 20: Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Ben Carson arrives to testify before the Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies on Capitol Hill March... WASHINGTON, DC - MARCH 20: Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Ben Carson arrives to testify before the Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies on Capitol Hill March 20, 2018 in Washington, DC. Secretary Carson has drawn fire from lawmakers for purchasing furniture for his office suite despite agency cutbacks. (Photo by Aaron P. Bernstein/Getty Images) MORE LESS
Start your day with TPM.
Sign up for the Morning Memo newsletter

Perhaps taking after the Commander in Chief, Housing and Urban Development Director Ben Carson hews to a lax schedule for his day-to-day operations, taking frequent midday Friday trips to his property in Florida and only huddling with his senior staff once a week.

According to an NBC News report, the schedules, obtained through a watchdog lawsuit, show that Carson usually flew commercial to his Florida mansion on his own dime.

His first appointments in the office began at 9 or 10 A.M., though his staff insisted to NBC that he arrives at 7:30 A.M.

His holey schedule reflects his seeming lack of urgency to achieve his HUD goals, as his signature program, social services hubs called EnVision, has yet to begin despite an official launch last summer.

As part of President Donald Trump’s budget, Carson has also requested an 18 percent cut of his own agency, tripling rent on public housing units and cutting funding from desperately needed public housing repairs.

Latest News
Masthead Masthead
Founder & Editor-in-Chief:
Executive Editor:
Managing Editor:
Associate Editor:
Editor at Large:
General Counsel:
Publisher:
Head of Product:
Director of Technology:
Associate Publisher:
Front End Developer:
Senior Designer: