Housing and Urban Development Secretary Scott Turner, left, tasked Elon Musk and his Department of Government Efficiency with weeding out waste at his agency. (The Associated Press/Getty)
Costs for operating the 10-story building – which is styled in the popular minimalist Brutalist architecture of the 1950s – also come with lofty price tags. Fiscal year 2024 cost taxpayers $111,978,115 in combined rent and operating costs for the Weaver building, Fox Digital learned.
Blacked out business card that remained on HUD white board untouched for four years. (Fox News Digital)
"This is why President Trump has been vocal about getting employees to return to work in the office on behalf of the American people," the senior administration official told Fox News Digital. "They deserve better – eliminating fraud, waste, and abuse was a cornerstone of the president's campaign and is a defining feature of President Trump's first 100 days."
Scott Turner, who was confirmed as the nation's 19th HUD secretary earlier in February, added in a comment to Fox News Digital that "the four-year vacation" under the Biden administration "is over."
"This is a huge disservice to the American people and a massive waste of hard-earned taxpayer dollars. Let me be clear – the four year vacation is over," Turner told Fox Digital. "I’ve been on many teams in my career, and I know from experience that in-person teamwork ensures accountability and fosters an environment of collaboration, creativity and communication. At HUD, we’re getting back to work for the American people."
The Department of Government Efficiency, led by Elon Musk, said it found $1.9 billion in misplaced Housing and Urban Development funds. (Alex Brandon/The Associated Press )
Turner was confirmed by the Senate on Feb. 5, announcing just days later that he launched a new Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) task force of HUD employees to weed out "waste, fraud and abuse" at the agency.
DOGE, which is led by Elon Musk, additionally reported in February that it had identified $1.9 billion in misplaced HUD funds and worked with Turner to release the funds to the U.S. Treasury.
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"HUD will be detailed and deliberate about every dollar spent to serve rural, tribal and urban communities," Turner said Thursday. "Thanks to President Trump’s leadership, we are no longer in a business-as-usual posture and the DOGE task force will play a critical role in helping to identify and eliminate waste, fraud and abuse and ultimately better serve the American people. We have already identified over $260 million in savings and we have more to accomplish."
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/hud-offices-became-vacant-spirit-halloween-store-under-biden-admin-sources