President Donald Trump will face a probe by the General Accountability Office, over the national security and cost implications of his weekend visits to his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida.
A request had been filed with the GAO by four Democratic members of Congress, including Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass), who want an examination of who had access to the president at his private club. The other lawmakers are Sens. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) and Tom Udall (D-N.M.) as well as Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-Md).
The February filing was inspired, in part, by images circulated of Trump golfing with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe at the Palm Beach resort.
The GAO serves as a governmental watchdog and will examine both the cost of Trump’s trips to Mar-a-Lago and the security protocol that is in place—given that Trump may discuss classified information while hosting foreign representatives.
A new bill introduced last week will require Trump to release logs of those that visit his private properties and White House grounds.
Democrats are also interested in how much Trump’s trips to Mar-a-Lago are costing the American taxpayer. One of the congressmen behind the GAO request, Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-Md), said that any costs billed for must be “fair and reasonable.”
“We have now a president who it has become normal for him to be able to reap the profits from these hotels while still being president. So, you know it’s difficult but we have to keep raising the issue,” he told NPR.
Cummings also communicated his disappointment that House Republicans were not engaging with the possible security vulnerabilities.