Washington, D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser faces scrutiny after revelations that her December 2023 trip to Qatar, costing $61,930, was funded by the Qatari government. Initially, Bowser’s office claimed the trip was financed by the D.C. Chamber of Commerce, later attributing it to the U.S. Conference of Mayors. Both assertions were false, as confirmed by a letter from Qatar obtained through a FOIA request by WJLA/ABC7.
The mayor’s office failed to record the trip with the District of Columbia or sign a donation agreement, both legally required steps. Qatar referred to the trip as an “in-kind donation,” yet Bowser’s administration only sought to formalize the agreement two years later, requesting a breakdown of expenses from Qatari officials in February.
Qatar’s financial support for Hamas is well-documented. The Gulf state has transferred over $1.8 billion to Hamas-controlled Gaza, subsidizing the government salaries of Hamas leadership and infrastructure. Qatar also hosts Hamas’s political leadership in Doha, providing a base since 2012. These ties have drawn criticism, especially after Hamas’s October 7, 2023, terror attack on Israel, which resulted in the deaths of 1,200 Israelis and over 200 hostages. In response, Qatar blamed Israel for the escalation, stating it “holds Israel solely responsible for the ongoing escalation.”
Further complicating matters, Bowser’s administration lacks expense records for other trips, including visits to the Masters Golf Tournament, Las Vegas, Miami, and Mar-a-Lago. Notably, Chief of Staff Lindsey Parker submitted a $3,500 taxpayer-funded receipt for a three-night stay at Dubai’s luxury Atlantis-Palm Hotel following the Doha visit.
When questioned about the missing travel records, Bowser declined to comment. Qatar also refrained from providing a statement.
