The Government Accountability Office (GAO) late last week agreed to review the costs and security of President Donald Trump’s frequent trips to his private club Mar-a-Lago, in Palm Beach, Florida.
GAO managing director of public affairs Charles Young told TPM on Tuesday that the office “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.”
He said that the office “generally” accepts requests for such reviews from members on both sides of the aisle “so long as it is from the relevant committee.”
“No timeframes yet,” Young said.
The GAO said it will look into the kind of security screening used for guests and visitors of the club, how classified information and secure communications are being handled at the club, whether the U.S. Treasury has received any of the profits from hotels owned or operated by Trump and what the Secret Service and Defense Department have done to ensure that fees they are charged for Trump’s trips to the club are “fair and reasonable,” according to a report by the Washington Post.
In February, Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-MD), ranking member on the House Oversight Committee; and Sens. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) and Tom Udall (D-NM) asked the GAO to review Trump’s activities at Mar-a-Lago.
They referred to a situation that arose when Trump hosted Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe at the club, when the two leaders decided how to handle breaking news that North Korea had test-fired a ballistic missile in the middle of Mar-a-Lago’s dining area.
“We are deeply concerned by recent reports that the President, his staff, and the Japanese Prime Minister discussed national security matters on ‘full view to fellow diners,’ and reviewed potentially sensitive national security material in apparent violation of security protocols,” they said in a letter.
White House press secretary Sean Spicer said at the time that Trump and Abe discussed only “press logistics” at the dinner table. He said a Sensitive Compartmented Information Facility (SCIF) — a private area to discuss classified information — was already installed at the club.
“There is a SCIF at Mar-a-Lago. And just to be clear, the President was briefed in a SCIF ahead of dinner,” he told reporters. “And after the dinner, the President went back into the SCIF to get a further update from his team. So I’m not really sure why people jumped to conclusions.”
Trump has spent five weekends at Mar-a-Lago since his inauguration. He took a break over the past weekend to visit the Trump National Golf Club in Sterling, Virginia, where his staff told reporters that the President was holding “meetings” — as he rode in a golf cart and wore golf cleats.
@BraddJaffy just saw this on IG: pic.twitter.com/96kIwnAFHS
— Alex Marshall (@a_r_marshall) March 25, 2017
I hope the report determines he’s use up all his vacation time for at least the next two years…
This should be good for some rage tweeting.
A reminder from the cranks at Judicial Watch who helped fuel this issue in the Obama years. Their final tally, based on FOIA acquired docs, for all 8 years. Over 96 Million Dollars (in 8 years)!!!
Suddenly that now looks like Chump change. http://www.judicialwatch.org/press-room/press-releases/judicial-watch-new-obama-travel-costs-bring-eight-year-total-96-million/
Yesterday we discussed the record setting feat by Trump for the quickest lowest approval ratings for a president. Now a request (thanks Senators) for info that will likely reveal another record setting feat - spending money on president and family travel and security (additional costs due to travel.) Go get 'em Trumpy another likely presidential record.
Maybe someone should call Guiness to get recorded all these national records being made by the president!
It could be 200 Trillion dollars, and Trump supporters would say: “It doesn’t matter, he needs to play golf to relax, so he can work for our nation at any cost.”
You could then counter argue: but a lot of the money goes straight to his business. And then they will say: “Yeah, he’s a successful business man, that’s why he’s making money of the President. Look at him winning.”
You could then point out: but what about the national security concerns? What about Trump doing the nations business in full view of everyone including exposing classified information. And they will respond: “Look at how transparent he is! Unlike crooked Hillary.”
In other words, not matter what the GAO finds, Trump supporters just don’t care how corrupt he is. They’re in a cult. They lost the capacity for rational thought.