SCOOP: Liberal city mayor hit with ethics complaint over alleged lavish gifts

FIRST ON FOX: A nonpartisan authorities watchdog filed an morals complaint against Washington, D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser connected Tuesday morning. 

The ailment by the Foundation for Accountability and Civic Trust (FACT) requests the Board of Ethics and Government Accountability analyse Bowser for allegedly accepting amerciable question and hospitality gifts connected high-profile trips to Doha, Qatar, for the 2023 United Nations Climate Change Conference, the Masters Golf Tournament successful Augusta, Georgia, and trips to Dubai, Las Vegas, Miami and Mar-a-Lago.

"The basal modular for elected officials is honorable transparency, which means pursuing each disclosure laws and willingly answering the public's questions. The mayor's unwillingness to supply basal accusation astir galore high-profile trips is unacceptable," Kendra Arnold, enforcement manager of FACT, shared archetypal with Fox News Digital. 

FACT cited WJLA's investigation into missing records from Bowser's salient trips, successful which they discovered Qatar paid Bowser and 4 unit members $61,930 to alert to the Middle East successful 2023.

SCHUMER MOVES TO BLOCK TRUMP DOJ NOMINEES AS HE SEEKS ANSWERS ON QATARI JET TO DEFENSE DEPARTMENT

Washington, D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser speaks astatine a property league extracurricular the U.S. Capitol connected March 10, 2024. (Kayla Bartkowski/Getty Images)

"It is not simply the Qatar trip, but a troubling signifier from Mar-A-Lago to Doha to Augusta National – the District has nary grounds of who paid for these trips oregon what nationalist intent they served, if determination was 1 astatine all," Arnold said. "The morals rules beryllium to support against corruption, and erstwhile they are ignored, the public’s spot erodes. I impulse the Board to analyse and enforce the instrumentality without delay."

SANCTUARY CITY MAYORS TO TESTIFY AT HOUSE OVERSIGHT AFTER AG BONDI CUTS THEM OFF FROM FEDERAL FUNDS

While the Middle East travel should person been disclosed successful bid to beryllium accepted arsenic a ineligible donation to the District of Columbia, FACT said successful the ailment that determination is nary grounds of who paid for the trip. 

"When questioned by the press, initially the mayor’s bureau said the travel was paid for by the D.C. Chamber of Commerce. The Chamber said that was not true. Then, the mayor’s bureau said the travel was paid for by the U.S. Conference of Mayors. That was besides false," FACT claimed. 

Washington, D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser speaks astatine a quality league connected Capitol Hill successful Washington connected Monday, March 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis)

Then, successful February 2025, the mayor's bureau requested the trip's disbursal breakdown, labeled it an "in-kind donation" and sought a "retroactive donation agreement," contempt the 2 years that passed, according to FACT.

"Yet, unbelievably, it wasn’t until a reporter’s Freedom of Information Act petition successful March 2025 that this accusation was publically revealed—more specifically that Qatar paid much than $61,930 for the travel the mayor’s bureau was present attempting to retroactively picture arsenic an ‘in-kind donation.’ As of May 2025, the District inactive does not person a grounds of Qatar paying for Bowser’s 2023 trip," according to the complaint. 

Again, citing WJLA's investigative reporting, FACT said the District of Columbia has nary disbursal records for respective much trips, including to the Masters Golf Tournament successful Augusta, Georgia, and trips to Las Vegas, Miami and Mar-a-Lago.

Washington, D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser speaks astatine a property league aft testifying for hours earlier the D.C. City Council outlining the Fiscal Year 2025 Budget successful Washington, D.C., connected April 3, 2024. (Craig Hudson for The Washington Post via Getty Images)

FACT accused Bowser of violating a "fundamental morals principle" that prevents corruption and discourages elected officials from accepting bribes and donations. 

Under Washington, D.C., law, authorities officials cannot accept definite gifts, including trips, lodging and transportation. The instrumentality allows donations to the territory itself if the authorities entity "uses the acquisition oregon donation to transportation retired its authorized functions oregon duties." 

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

In that case, elaborate and close records indispensable beryllium disposable for "audit and nationalist inspection." Those donations to the territory indispensable beryllium "recorded and approved earlier the donation is used." 

"Clearly Mayor Bowser’s travel to Qatar qualifies arsenic a gift, and 1 that elected officials are personally prohibited from accepting. Additionally, this acquisition would not suffice arsenic a donation made to the District due to the fact that the donation was not recorded and approved earlier the donation was used. The District inactive does not adjacent person a grounds of it," FACT concluded successful the complaint.