Trump DOJ Investigate D.C. Mayor's Qatari-Funded Trip
DC Mayor’s Qatar-Funded Trip May Spark DOJ Investigation Despite Trump’s Free Plane From Same Country
In May, the Trump administration accepted a Boeing 747-8 luxury jetliner as a gift from the Qatari government.
On Thursday, Trump’s Justice Department announced that they’ve opened a corruption probe into Washington, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser over a free trip to Qatar.
“The investigation, which is being handled by the U.S. attorney’s office in Washington, has been underway for months, but could face significant hurdles because of the known facts of the case and recent turmoil inside the Justice Department,” The New York Times reports.
“The inquiry began in the wake of an April report by a local TV station, WJLA, over a trip Ms. Bowser and four members of her staff took to Dubai in 2023 for a United Nations conference on climate change. When questioned by reporters about the trip, the mayor’s office initially said it was paid for by the D.C. Chamber of Commerce.”
Later, it was learned that the Qatari government paid for a portion of the trip.
But whether Bowser is under investigation is still unclear. An NBC Washington report posted Friday morning claims that Bowser is not the target of a federal investigation.
As with most things involving the Trump administration there have been conflicting accounts. A senior Trump official told Axios that Bowser’s “name was mentioned in something,” but that she is not under federal investigation. Axios claims that the rumors of an investigation come from a disgruntled FBI agent.
“It is unclear whether the mayor’s office did anything for the Qatari government, which would be a critical element of any possible bribery accusation,” the Times report read. “And any criminal case involving campaign finance law would have to show that wrongdoing or misstatements were intentional rather than mistakes in paperwork.”
If there were a case against the Capitol city’s mayor, it would come with a strong dose of irony, considering that Trump has been under fire since accepting the $400 million donated luxury jet from the Qatari government that will replace Air Force One.
Trump claims that the gift is not his and isn’t in his possession, but will be used by the U.S. government and will be under the ownership of his presidential library once he leaves office.
Bowser denied any wrongdoing, “This was a business trip,” said a statement from the mayor’s office, Raw Story reports. “D.C. representatives regularly travel to promote Washington as a destination for investment and growth … All proper paperwork for this standard donation is on file.”
See social media’s reaction to the hypocrisy below.
