President Donald Trump’s trade representative spent nearly $1million on new furniture for his office – though he says it’s the Obama administration’s fault.
Robert Lighthizer shelled out $917,000 for furniture at the two trade offices near the White House, the New York Post reported on Tuesday.
That is a significant increase compared to his predecessors from the days of Barack Obama’s presidency.
Ron Kirk, who was Obama’s first trade representative, spent $237,000 on office furniture in the first year-and-a-half of his tenure.
During the same amount of time, his successor, Michael Froman, spent $151,000.
When Lighthizer’s representatives were asked about the excessive spending, they said the expensive furnishing was a continuation of Obama-era policies.
President Donald Trump’s trade representative spent nearly $1million on new furniture for his office – though he says it’s the Obama administration’s fault. Robert Lighthizer shelled out $917,000 for furniture at the two trade offices near the White House
![Ron Kirk (above), who was Obama’s first trade representative, spent $237,000 on office furniture in the first year-and-a-half of his tenure.](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/newpix/2018/04/18/03/4B43D0FC00000578-0-image-m-92_1524018993033.jpg)
![During the same amount of time, his successor, Michael Froman (above), spent $151,000](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/newpix/2018/04/18/03/4B43D11E00000578-0-image-m-91_1524018982082.jpg)
Ron Kirk (left), who was Obama’s first trade representative, spent $237,000 on office furniture in the first year-and-a-half of his tenure. During the same amount of time, his successor, Michael Froman (right), spent $151,000
‘The furniture purchases are the culmination of a longtime, planned project that began under the Obama Administration to replace two-decade-old furniture,’ Lighthizer’s office said in a statement.
‘The project to upgrade offices has been going on since 2014.’
But a former aide to Obama denied that the previous administration ordered a major overhaul of furniture.
The aide said it was ‘laughable’ that Trump officials were adhering to policies put forth by Obama – even though the current president has rolled back a lot of his predecessor’s initiatives, like the Trans-Pacific Partnership.
Trump signed an executive order cancelling American participation in the TPP during the first week of his presidency – following through on a campaign promise.
![Lighthizer’s office encompasses two locations – the Winder Building (above) and the annex at 1724 F St. NW](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/newpix/2018/04/18/03/4B43D12F00000578-0-image-a-93_1524019139298.jpg)
Lighthizer’s office encompasses two locations – the Winder Building (above) and the annex at 1724 F St. NW
‘We told 11 other countries that we were going to do a trade deal with them, and the Trump administration found the power to unwind that,’ the Obama trade official told The Post.
‘So furniture purchases cannot be as binding as a trade agreement that the president of the United States signed.
‘It’s just laughable.’
Lighthizer’s office has spent $18,500 for 60 sit-stand desks; $290,000 for a movable wooden wall system; and 90 office chairs that cost a total of $54,000.
The office paid $475,000 to a furniture supplier in the DC area, Executive Furniture, which offers high-end products designed for executives.
Lighthizer’s office encompasses two locations – the Winder Building and the annex at 1724 F St. NW.
It employs a total of just 270 people – which makes the almost $1million spending spree seem exorbitant.
Trump came into office with a promise to ‘drain the swamp’ of political corruption.
Yet his administration has had to deal with numerous negative stories about cabinet officials spending freely on the taxpayers’ dime.
![The office paid $475,000 to a furniture supplier in the DC area, Executive Furniture, which offers high-end products designed for executives](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/newpix/2018/04/18/03/4B43D13800000578-0-image-a-94_1524019144166.jpg)
The office paid $475,000 to a furniture supplier in the DC area, Executive Furniture, which offers high-end products designed for executives
Last month, Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson canceled a $31,000 order for a dining table set that he bought for his Washington, DC office following a public outcry.
In September, Tom Price resigned as secretary of health and human services under pressure from Trump after an uproar over Price’s use of costly private charter planes for government business.
Last month, Trump ousted Veterans Affairs Secretary David Shulkin.
Shulkin had drawn fire for a damning report from the inspector general of the Department of Veterans Affairs.
It found that during a trip to London and Denmark he improperly accepted tickets to the Wimbledon tennis tournament and his chief of staff made false statements so Shulkin’s wife could travel at government expense.
The US Government Accountability Office (GAO) said on Monday that the Environmental Protection Agency violated the law when it approved a $43,000 soundproof phone booth last year for Administrator Scott Pruitt without seeking approval from lawmakers.
And the Department of Interior’s Office of Inspector General said Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke took an unnecessary charter flight in June after a speech he made there to a professional hockey team that cost taxpayers more than $12,000.