At the request of four Democrats in the Congress, the Government Accountability Office has agreed to formally review how much money the feds spend, and what security precautions are taken, when President Donald Trump takes a weekend away at his Mar-a-Lago retreat in Palm Beach, Florida.
The request for a GAO review came from three Democratic Senators and one House member - the GAO says it will "review security and site-related travel expenses related to the President's stays outside the White House at Mar-a-Lago.
The lawmakers who made the request were Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Sen. Tom Udall (D-NM), Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), and Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-MD).
This is not new territory for the GAO, which from time to time is asked by one party or the other to review the costs of travel.
When the White House was under the control of Democrats, Republicans a few years ago were the ones asking about costs - as they had the GAO look at a February 15-18, 2013 trip made by President Barack Obama.
In that review, the GAO estimated that an official speech in Illinois, followed by a golf weekend in Florida, cost about $3.6 million.
This GAO report will look at more than just the cost of the weekend trips to Trump's resort in Mar-a-Lago, as it will also review security matters there.
Questions were raised about security concerns after a trip to Mar-a-Lago that Mr. Trump took with the Japanese Prime Minister, when the two men were seen with aides in a public dining area, speaking about a developing national security issue with regards to North Korea.
One question from the four Democrats centers on whether those who are at the Trump club have gone through normal security and clearance procedures, including any foreign nationals who might be there.
White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer has downplayed the costs of the Mar-a-Lago visits, saying that's 'part of being President.'
"That is a vast reach," Spicer told one reporter, who cast the question of the cost of the Mar-a-Lago visits, versus proposed cuts in the federal budget.
Before he became President, Mr. Trump often criticized his predecessor for taking weekend golf trips to Florida and other parts of the country.
The GAO will now be in charge of determining how much Mr. Trump's own weekend getaways are costing taxpayers.
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