Washington (CNN) Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson detailed his wife's involvement Tuesday in picking out a dining room set for his office, telling a House subcommittee, "I left it with my wife."

Carson said that his wife, Candy, selected "a style and a color" of the furniture set that ultimately cost HUD $31,000.

"A style and a color was selected by her with the caveat that we were not happy with the pricing and they needed to find something," Carson told lawmakers.

He went on to defend her, "If anybody knew my wife, they would realize how ridiculous this was. She's the most frugal person in the world."

A HUD spokesperson had previously told CNN in a statement last month that "Mrs. Carson and the secretary had no awareness that the table was being purchased." Internal HUD emails indicated that the Carsons had picked out the furniture.

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