In April, it emerged that Washington, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser and several of her team members embarked on a 2023 journey to Dubai, incurring expenses close to $62,000. Initially, Mayor Bowser stated that the D.C. Chamber of Commerce covered the costs. She later claimed that the funding came from the U.S. Conference of Mayors.

However, an investigation by ABC affiliate WJLA 7 uncovered discrepancies in these claims, revealing that neither organization funded the trip. The investigation found that the expenses were actually covered by the nation of Qatar. In response to these findings, Mayor Bowser attributed the misinformation to a supposed paperwork error by a staff member.

Except an investigation done by ABC affiliate WJLA 7 found that neither claim was true, as was reported at the time. In fact, it was the nation of Qatar that paid for the trip. Bowser then proceeded to blame what happened on an alleged paperwork error supposedly made by a staffer:

EXCLUSIVE: The nation of Qatar paid $61,930 in travel expenses for @MayorBowser & 4 staff members in 2023 for a trip to the Middle East. 

The Mayor’s Office said the trip was covered by DC’s Chamber of Commerce which wasn’t true and then it said it was paid by the U.S. Conference of Mayors which was also not true.  

After my investigation exposed the truth Bowser is now asking Qatar to give her office reciepts for the trip because she never filed them with the District.  

I also discovered her office is asking Qatar to sign a Donation Agreement two years after the trip. Something that according to the Mayor’s memorandeum was suppose to be done before she ever left for the trip.