{"id":1226623,"date":"2022-01-20T05:08:08","date_gmt":"2022-01-20T10:08:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=1226623"},"modified":"2022-01-20T05:08:14","modified_gmt":"2022-01-20T10:08:14","slug":"bidens-director-of-national-intelligence-dropped-12k-on-custom-executive-chairs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/bidens-director-of-national-intelligence-dropped-12k-on-custom-executive-chairs\/","title":{"rendered":"Biden\u2019s Director of National Intelligence Dropped $12K on Custom \u2018Executive\u2019 Chairs"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">22<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fbidens-director-of-national-intelligence-dropped-12k-on-custom-executive-chairs%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=1226623&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><div>\n\t\t\t<span class=\"article-category\"><a class=\"\" href=\"https:\/\/freebeacon.com\/biden-administration\/\">Biden Administration<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"article-excerpt\">Avril Haines&#8217;s office also spent $3K on new art for office, documents show<\/p>\n<figure class=\"post-thumbnail-container relative lg:mr-24 w-full my-4 mb-8\">\n\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"736\" height=\"491\" src=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/GettyImages-1232307043-736x491-1.jpg\" class=\"w-full lazyload blur-up wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"denied:data:image\/gif;base64, R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/freebeacon.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/GettyImages-1232307043-scaled-e1642625187845.jpg 736w, https:\/\/freebeacon.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/GettyImages-1232307043-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/freebeacon.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/GettyImages-1232307043-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/freebeacon.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/GettyImages-1232307043-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/freebeacon.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/GettyImages-1232307043-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/freebeacon.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/GettyImages-1232307043-2048x1366.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/freebeacon.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/GettyImages-1232307043-1400x934.jpg 1400w\" data-sizes=\"auto\" \/><figcaption class=\"absolute text-white p-4 w-full text-right text-xs bottom-0 bg-black opacity-75\">\n\t\t\t\tDNI Avril Haines, in an unidentified chair. (Photo by Graeme Jennings-Pool\/Getty Images)\t\t\t<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>\t\t\t<span class=\"text-gray text-xs md:text-lg\"><a href=\"https:\/\/freebeacon.com\/author\/patrick-hauf\/\" title=\"Posts by Patrick Hauf\" class=\"author url fn text-red-700\" rel=\"author\">Patrick Hauf<\/a> \u2022 January 20, 2022 5:00 am<\/span><\/p><\/div>\n<div>\n<p>The Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) spent an exorbitant amount of taxpayer money on &#8220;executive furniture&#8221; for agency head Avril Haines, according to <a href=\"https:\/\/freebeacon.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/dni-foia.pdf\">documents<\/a> obtained by the <em>Washington Free Beacon<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p>Weeks after Haines was confirmed as Director of National Intelligence, her office spent $12,134 on four office chairs, according to a government procurement order obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request. An ODNI employee asked in the order for &#8220;appropriate executive furniture that meets the level of the position in which they are charged with.&#8221; ODNI said it needed the chairs by April 1, 2021.<\/p>\n<p>The procurement order shows that Haines&#8217;s office ordered versions of furniture company Haworth&#8217;s Zody chair, which is customizable and <a href=\"https:\/\/b2b.haworth.com\/product-catalog\/product\/single\/zody-task-chair\/configurator?variantCode=color.CH_STG_ST1_COL%3DS7_A;color.CH_STG_BK1_COL%3DMA_1;color.CH_STG_TRM_COL%3DTR_F;color.CH_STG_FR_COL%3DTR_F;dimensions.CH_STG_ST_HGT_ADJ%3DPHA;style.CH_STG_PROD_TYPE%3DTASK;style.CH_STG_ST_CUSH_MATL%3DFOAM;style.CH_STG_BK_JCK%3DNO_BKJCK;style.CH_STG_ARM_STYLE%3D4D;style.CH_STG_ST_CTRL%3DFWDTLT;style.CH_STG_ST_DPT_ADJ%3DDPTADJ;style.CH_STG_BK_LK%3DBKLK;style.CH_STG_BK_LUM%3DLUM;style.CH_STG_BASE_MATL%3DALUM;style.CH_STG_BASE_FOOT%3DHRDCSTR;style.CH_STG_FIRE_CODE%3DNO_COD;style.CH_GEN_SURF_TRTMNT%3DNO_TREAT;hidden.LynxCatalogCode%3DSZT-20-714MA1,S7_A,MA_1,TR_F,TR_F;hidden.SUPPLIER_PART_NUMBER%3D110-0944;hidden.CH_STG_STOL%3DNO_STOL;hidden.CH_STG_ASMB%3DASMB;hidden.CH_STG_BASE_COL%3DTR_F&amp;lan=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">can sell<\/a> for a wide range of prices depending on the selected configuration. According to the document, each of the chairs cost $2,759 before delivery and labor fees, which brought the total to $3,033 per chair.<\/p>\n<p>It is unclear how exactly Haines\u2019s office purchased a chair that expensive. Using Haworth&#8217;s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.haworth.com\/na\/en\/products\/stools\/zody-1.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">2021 price list<\/a>, it is possible to customize a chair that <a href=\"https:\/\/www.haworth.com\/na\/en\/products\/stools\/zody-1.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">costs<\/a> up to $3,000 by adding on a variety of features including lumbar adjustments, a &#8220;PAL back system,&#8221; 4D arms, and an &#8220;upholstered back jacket.&#8221; ODNI did not respond to requests for comment on the chairs&#8217; specifications.<\/p>\n<p>Haines is the latest government official to drop taxpayer dollars on swanky goods. The <em>Free Beacon <\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/freebeacon.com\/democrats\/peep-tom-vilsacks-2k-drapes\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">reported<\/a> in October that Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack spent nearly $2,000 on an uninspiring set of drapes. Under former president Barack Obama, the State Department <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2018\/09\/13\/us\/politics\/state-department-curtains.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">spent<\/a> $52,000 on curtains for the Manhattan residence of the ambassador to the United Nations. The <em>New York Times<\/em> in 2017 slammed then-secretary of housing and urban development Ben Carson&#8217;s office for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2018\/02\/27\/us\/ben-carson-hud-furniture.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">purchasing<\/a> a $31,000 dining room set.<\/p>\n<p>ODNI placed its chair order through the General Services Administration, which assists with the operations of federal agencies. Haworth has a GSA <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gsaelibrary.gsa.gov\/ElibMain\/contractorInfo.do?contractNumber=GS-03F-057DA&amp;contractorName=HAWORTH%2C+INC.&amp;executeQuery=YES\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">contract<\/a> that includes a 60 percent <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gsaadvantage.gov\/ref_text\/GS03F057DA\/0WSTH1.3SJ6FQ_GS-03F-057DA_HAWORTH122921.PDF\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">discount<\/a> on the Zody chair. The GSA catalog lists the Zody chair at $494. Federal agencies are <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gsa.gov\/buying-selling\/purchasing-programs\/gsa-schedule\/schedule-features\/schedule-pricing\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">encouraged<\/a> but not required to ensure their orders qualify for discounts. The GSA did not respond to requests for comment.<\/p>\n<p>A Haworth spokeswoman told the <em>Free Beacon <\/em>that the ODNI order fell &#8220;within GSA requirements,&#8221; but said it was unable to discuss specifics. &#8220;We do not release documentation without approval from the customer,&#8221; a company spokeswoman said.<\/p>\n<p>The most expensive <a href=\"https:\/\/www.staples.com\/Office-Chairs\/cat_CL166253?sby=2\">office chair available<\/a> from office furniture giant Staples costs less than $1,000.<\/p>\n<p>It is unclear whether Haines, a 52-year-old woman with no documented back problems, was directly involved in the orders, as all names on the documents are redacted. It is also unclear how much spinal damage has been done to ODNI employees forced to sit in non-executive office chairs.<\/p>\n<p>Haines&#8217;s office also spent more than $3,000 for a seven-piece art installation that features photos of D.C. landmarks. The set includes a photo of the Capitol taken by <a href=\"https:\/\/fineartamerica.com\/profiles\/valeriy-tourchin?tab=about\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Valeriy Tourchin<\/a>, a Russian native known as &#8220;Black Russian.&#8221; According to his <a href=\"https:\/\/blackrussianstudio.zenfolio.com\/about.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">website<\/a>, Tourchin earned the nickname &#8220;for having mostly black friends and (as my friends saying) \u2018shooting black people.'&#8221;<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Biden Administration Avril Haines&#8217;s office also spent $3K on new art for office, documents show  DNI Avril Haines, in an unidentified chair. (Photo by Graeme Jennings-Pool\/Getty &#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2315279,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1226623","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1226623","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1226623"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1226623\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2315279"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1226623"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1226623"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1226623"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}