California Democratic Representative Ted Lieu criticized Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke in a late Thursday night tweet over reports that the Trump Cabinet secretary spent $139,000 of taxpayer money upgrading the doors in his office.
In the tweet, which was posted just after midnight on Friday, the California Democrat, a frequent Trump critic, asked House Speaker Paul Ryan if he could get his own “Game of Thrones”-style office furniture, after which he said that he was joking, as Lieu is not a member of President Donald Trump’s Cabinet.
“Dear @SpeakerRyan: Can I spend $200,000 of taxpayer’s funds to remodel my office based on a #GameOfThrones theme? I would like a heavy iron door and a table made of dragon glass,” Lieu wrote. “Aw, just kidding, I’m not a @realDonaldTrump Cabinet Secretary,” he added.
The Hill reported that while Lieu’s comment was in jest, he wouldn’t be the first House member to use taxpayer dollars to fund themed renovations for his congressional office. In 2015, Republican Representative Aaron Schock resigned after a wave of controversy hit him when it was reported that he used thousands of dollars for decorations of his office in the theme of the PBS British drama “Downton Abbey.”
CNN reported that Zinke spent $139,000 on a new set of doors for his office at the Interior Department just months after being told that he was set to be $200,000 over his travel budget for the year.
“Now we know that Ryan Zinke isn’t using just any door when he shuts the American people out. Like Scott Pruitt, Zinke is a walking scandal who believes he can live the life of luxury on the American taxpayer’s dime, and it’s time Trump puts a stop to it,” Sierra Club president Ethan Manuel wrote on Thursday.
“We only hope that this $139,000 door doesn’t hit Zinke on his way out.”
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