Small got $1.1m Smithsonian allowance for house used 4 times for official functions

Lawrence M. Small, the former secretary of the Smithsonian, rarely used his Northwest Washington mansion for institution-related entertaining in the past four years, despite receiving a housing allowance totaling $1.1 million since 2000 to make his residence available for official functions, institution records released yesterday show.

Small used his property for Smithsonian events only four times in the past four years and had not used it since 2005.