White House logs show problem with ants, mice and cockroaches
- Published
There were multiple sightings of rodents
Mice, cockroaches, ants and a broken toilet seat are some of the dozens of issues reported to maintenance workers by Donald Trump's White House staff.
The work-order logs were obtained by NBC Washington, external along with those from the last year of Barack Obama's administration.
Rodent sightings were reported in the Navy mess food service area as well as the Situation Room.
Hundreds of requests were received over the two years.
"They are old buildings," Brian Miller, former inspector general for the US General Services Administration (GSA) which oversees maintenance work, told NBC Washington.
"Any of us who have old houses know old houses need a lot of work."
Cockroaches were a problem in "dining rooms" as well as ants in the Chief of Staff quarters, according to the logs, and both ants and cockroaches were seen in the press lobby kitchen.
As well as tackling pest infestations, the work orders show a flurry of jobs requested after the new administration moved in at the start of the year.
New fabrics were ordered to give the effect of more height in the office of First Lady Melania Trump
Former Press Secretary Sean Spicer requested furniture be moved, as well as "a coin display box for his challenge coins".
Vice-President Mike Pence required maintenance workers to refinish the legs of two "Martha Washington chairs" in front of his fireplace.
And there was a request to fit new draperies in the first lady's second-floor East Wing office to "break the floor, touching but not puddling".
The draperies should "give the overall effect of the room being taller", the request said.
Mr Miller said the maintenance of the White House was an "enormous job", partly due to the historic value of the site.