The Department of Justice has launched an investigation into a 2023 trip that Washington, D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser, a Democrat, took to Qatar, though Bowser is not believed to be a target of the probe, multiple media outlets reported Friday.
Bowser and four staff members traveled to Qatar in December 2023 for meetings on economic development. The trip, partially paid for by the Qatari government, was legal under federal law but subject to strict disclosure and ethics rules.
The visit was billed as an effort "to engage with leaders on the issues of infrastructure, sports and education, as well as promote Washington, D.C., as a destination for investment and tourism in partnership with the DC Chamber of Commerce," The Washington Post reported.
Bowser and her staff later attended the United Nations Climate Change Conference — known as COP28 — as part of the U.S. Conference of Mayors delegation.
Local media and watchdog groups have since questioned whether Bowser's office properly disclosed how the travel was funded.
Washington's WJLA-TV reported that Bowser's office initially gave inaccurate information — first saying the DC Chamber of Commerce paid for the trip, then claiming it was funded by the U.S. Conference of Mayors.
In February, Bowser's office asked for — and received — a letter from the Qatari Embassy confirming that its government helped pay for the trip, the Post reported. Qatar paid $61,930, covering round-trip airfare from D.C. to Doha, for the mayor and four staffers, along with two nights in a hotel and meals, according to the embassy letter.
The Qatari government described the money as a "donation to the executive office of the mayor," given "without any expectation of special treatment by the District of Columbia, or the receipt of anything in return."
In June, the Foundation for Accountability and Civic Trust, a conservative-leaning watchdog group, filed an ethics complaint with D.C.'s Office of Government Ethics seeking an investigation into Bowser's Qatar trip and other travel.
The New York Times reported Thursday that the DOJ is examining possible violations of bribery or campaign finance laws. Two senior Trump administration officials told the Post that Bowser "has never been under investigation."
Under federal law, violations of gift-reporting rules are generally civil matters. The attorney general can bring a case in federal court, and penalties can include repayment of the gift's value and fines of up to $5,000. Criminal charges, such as bribery, would require proof that an official act was promised or performed in exchange for money or another benefit.
Federal law prohibits federal employees — which includes D.C. employees — from accepting gifts from a foreign nation unless properly reported and approved.
At a news conference Friday, Bowser said she is "not under investigation" and has "not been contacted by any federal officials about investigating me." Bowser added that she had not contacted anyone in the White House or DOJ to seek information, or whether she was made aware of anyone else in her administration who might be under investigation.
"I have checked [with] our lawyers," she said. "We have a regular kind of chain of who talks to who, and we have not been contacted — not related to me or to anybody else, as I'm aware, and I have no explanation from federal officials about what happened."
Michael Katz ✉
Michael Katz is a Newsmax reporter with more than 30 years of experience reporting and editing on news, culture, and politics.
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