The Justice Department is scrutinizing a trip by Washington, D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser to Qatar, but the mayor is not a target of the investigation, a person familiar with the matter told The Associated Press.
Washington– The Ministry of Justice is examining the flight Washington, D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser He was transferred to Qatar, but the mayor is not a target of the investigation, a person familiar with the matter told The Associated Press on Friday.
The investigation into a trip Bowser took with staff in 2023 is focusing on a lobbyist linked to the Democratic mayor, according to the person who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the investigation.
The New York Times reported Thursday that federal prosecutors in Washington have opened a corruption investigation into Bowser and are looking into possible violations of bribery or campaign finance laws related to the trip.
But the federal prosecutor in Washington, US Attorney Jeanine Pirro, said in a statement on Friday that the mayor “is not under investigation, and is not the target of any investigation.” A Pirro spokesman declined to comment further.
Asked about the investigation at a news conference on Friday, Bowser said she had not been contacted by any federal officials nor had she received any subpoenas or targeted letters.
“I checked with our attorneys, we have a regular chain of people talking to who, and we have not been contacted, and no relationship to me or anyone else that I know of,” Bowser said.
The trip in question included a stop in Doha, where the city’s mayor met with international leaders on infrastructure, sports and education issues. It also promoted Washington as a destination for investment and tourism. Qatar donated $60,000 to help cover the costs of the trip for the mayor and members of her party.
Bowser told reporters on Friday that it was a “business trip, a notable trip to promote Washington, D.C., in Qatar.”
“This is what we did and we don’t have any courage to say it,” she said. The mayor credited the trip with helping the city keep two of its professional sports teams in the downtown area.
The scrutiny of the trip comes as the city’s mayor decides whether to seek a fourth term.
It also comes at a critical moment as the city responds to a government shutdown that has affected businesses and the federal workforce as well Continued deployment of the National Guard Troops are on the street until at least February 2026.