[Reconsideration of Claim for Locksmith Fee]

A Federal employee requested reconsideration of a prior decision denying his claim for reimbursement of a locksmith fee incurred during temporary duty travel when he locked himself out of his rental car. In the prior decision, GAO held that, since the employee's action in locking himself out of the rental car was the major cause of his incurring the locksmith fee, the fee was not essential to the transaction of official business and could not be reimbursed under the applicable travel regulations. The employee argued that: (1) he had to retrieve his keys to continue his temporary duty; (2) he had no alternative but to incur the locksmith fee to continue with his assignment; and (3) the expense was analogous to the expense of cleaning and pressing clothing. GAO held that there was no authority for reimbursement of this claim since the employee had not shown that the expense was essential to the transaction of official business. Accordingly, the prior decision was sustained.