Gov't Watchdog To Examine Cost Of Trump's Trips To Mar-A-Lago
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WASHINGTON (CBSMiami/AP) — A government watchdog will investigate the taxpayer-funded travel costs of President Donald Trump's trips to Mar-a-Lago in Florida and the security surrounding those trips.
That's the word from several congressional Democrats who raised concerns and sought an inquiry by the Government Accountability Office. The lawmakers said Tuesday in a statement that the GAO has initiated a review.
The GAO issued a statement on the matter Tuesday afternoon saying,
"We have accepted a request from Senators Warren, Whitehouse, and Udall, and Congressman Cummings, to review security and associated site-related travel expenses related to the President's stays outside the White House at Mar-a-Lago. No timeframes yet. The first thing we do on any job is determine the full scope of what we will cover and the methodology to be used. Until that is complete, we don't have any projected dates. We handled it as we do all requests, from either side of the aisle, using our standard protocols – so long as it is from the relevant committee, then we generally accept the requested work."
Related: Lawmakers Ask Trump To Help Pay Bill For His 'Winter White House' Trips
The lawmakers had expressed concerns after photographs emerged of the president and his staff discussing what was believed to be national security matters in full view of diners at the resort.
The GAO said in a letter to the lawmakers that it will examine how the president's communications and classified information are secured when he's traveling, including whether a secure space exists at Mar-a-Lago.
(© Copyright 2017 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
