WASHINGTON, D.C. - A 7News-ITeam exclusive reveals that Democratic D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser failed to properly disclose funding sources for a series of "lavish" trips. Now, she is facing scrutiny for that spending.
According to the Daily Caller, Bowser claims that her domestic and international travels are part of economic development efforts, yet public records raise some alarming questions. Bowser's administration reportedly does not have any expense filings on record for trips to the Masters Tournament, Las Vegas, Miami, Mar-a-Lago, Dubai, or Doha, even though several of these outings appear to have been paid for by third-party entities, including foreign nations and private organizations.
In one instance, the report alleged that Bowser's office initially claimed that the D.C. Chamber of Commerce paid for her participation in the 2023 United Nations Climate Change Conference in Dubai. The Chamber fully denied that claim. Days later, Bowser's communications director pivoted, saying that the U.S. Conference of Mayors had footed the bill. However, that group declined to confirm any such arrangement and deferred back to the mayor's team.
A main issue involves the mayor's trip to Doha in 2023, which is the capital of Qatar. Documents obtained by 7News through a Freedom of Information Act request show that the Qatari government paid for travel costs for Bowser and four staffers, describing it as an "in-kind donation." Under D.C. law, such donations must be formally submitted, received, and approved before acceptance. No such process took place.
In February 2025, Bowser's office sent a letter asking Qatari officials for a breakdown of the $61,930 they covered for her 2023 trip in order to draft a donation agreement. D.C. rules, set by her own administration, however, require such agreements to be submitted and approved before accepting any donation, not retroactively.
Lindsey Parker, the mayor's chief of staff, who also took part in the Middle Eastern trip, allegedly submitted a lone receipt showing a $3,500 taxpayer-funded stay at a luxury Atlantis-Palm hotel in Dubai. The rest of the expenses remain undocumented in the District's public records.
When confronted by reporters about her lack of financial transparency, Bowser dodged the issue. When pressed by 7News' Scott Taylor about her failure to include key trips in financial disclosures and city expenses logs, Bowser said, "We're talking about the inaugural today, and we're happy to get back to you on any other questions."
This is not the first time Bowser has faced scrutiny for her spending. She was questioned when she used a private jet provided by real estate executive and donor Jodie McClean to attend The Masters golf tournament in April 2024, while D.C. was in the midst of figuring out how to keep crime from rising.
Although McClean's company later said it covered the cost and would seek reimbursement, concerns emerged over potential conflicts of interest due to the firm's business ties with the city.
According to the Daily Caller, Bowser claims that her domestic and international travels are part of economic development efforts, yet public records raise some alarming questions. Bowser's administration reportedly does not have any expense filings on record for trips to the Masters Tournament, Las Vegas, Miami, Mar-a-Lago, Dubai, or Doha, even though several of these outings appear to have been paid for by third-party entities, including foreign nations and private organizations.
In one instance, the report alleged that Bowser's office initially claimed that the D.C. Chamber of Commerce paid for her participation in the 2023 United Nations Climate Change Conference in Dubai. The Chamber fully denied that claim. Days later, Bowser's communications director pivoted, saying that the U.S. Conference of Mayors had footed the bill. However, that group declined to confirm any such arrangement and deferred back to the mayor's team.
A main issue involves the mayor's trip to Doha in 2023, which is the capital of Qatar. Documents obtained by 7News through a Freedom of Information Act request show that the Qatari government paid for travel costs for Bowser and four staffers, describing it as an "in-kind donation." Under D.C. law, such donations must be formally submitted, received, and approved before acceptance. No such process took place.
In February 2025, Bowser's office sent a letter asking Qatari officials for a breakdown of the $61,930 they covered for her 2023 trip in order to draft a donation agreement. D.C. rules, set by her own administration, however, require such agreements to be submitted and approved before accepting any donation, not retroactively.
Lindsey Parker, the mayor's chief of staff, who also took part in the Middle Eastern trip, allegedly submitted a lone receipt showing a $3,500 taxpayer-funded stay at a luxury Atlantis-Palm hotel in Dubai. The rest of the expenses remain undocumented in the District's public records.
When confronted by reporters about her lack of financial transparency, Bowser dodged the issue. When pressed by 7News' Scott Taylor about her failure to include key trips in financial disclosures and city expenses logs, Bowser said, "We're talking about the inaugural today, and we're happy to get back to you on any other questions."
This is not the first time Bowser has faced scrutiny for her spending. She was questioned when she used a private jet provided by real estate executive and donor Jodie McClean to attend The Masters golf tournament in April 2024, while D.C. was in the midst of figuring out how to keep crime from rising.
Although McClean's company later said it covered the cost and would seek reimbursement, concerns emerged over potential conflicts of interest due to the firm's business ties with the city.
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Comments
2025-05-04T18:21-0400 | Comment by: Paul
Haven't we figured out yet that democrats don't have to follow any rules/laws. They're just simply above such trivial nonsense.
2025-05-06T18:00-0400 | Comment by: thomas
All these black mayors are criminals