Ben Carson’s HUD is a Family Affair -- and Maybe an Ethics Violation

HUD Secretary Dr. Ben Carson allowed his son to help organize a “listening tour” in Baltimore last summer despite warnings from department lawyers that doing so risked violating federal ethics rules, according to internal documents obtained by WaPo. In the days before the event in late June, career officials and political appointees raised concerns that Carson’s son, local businessman Ben Carson Jr., and daughter-in-law Merlynn Carson were inviting people with whom they potentially had business dealings, the documents show. The high-level meetings surrounding the Baltimore event highlight an arguably inappropriate overlap with the elder Carson’s family since he joined the Cabinet. His wife, Candy Carson, his son, and daughter-in-law have even attended some of his official meetings. Trump family party-planner-turned-HUD-Advisor Lynne Patton even raised concerns that Carson Jr. was inviting people to the event he may be doing business with or efforting a business relationship with invitees, who included: Under Armour CEO Kevin Plank; Abell Foundation President Robert C. Embry Jr.; and Teresa Carlson, VP of Worldwide Public Sector at Amazon Web Services, among others. As Chairman of the Columbia, MD-based Interprise Partners, Carson Jr. serves on the board of four Interprise companies. The firm specializes in infrastructure, healthcare, and workforce development. More here.