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New York Post
7 days ago
- Business
- New York Post
DC mayor hit with ethics complaint over $62K trip to Qatar, jaunts to Masters and Mar-a-Lago
Washington, DC Mayor Muriel Bowser was slapped with an ethics complaint filed Tuesday by a watchdog group accusing her of potentially accepting illegal travel and hospitality gifts on at least three long-haul jaunts — including to Qatar, the Masters golf tournament, and President Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort. The Foundation for Accountability and Civic Trust (FACT) filed the complaint with the DC Board of Ethics and Government Accountability after a local TV station revealed in April that Doha had paid at least $61,930 for the Democrat and four staffers to travel to the 2023 United Nations Climate Change Conference in neighboring Dubai. According to the report by WJLA-TV, Bowser's office initially stated the DC Chamber of Commerce paid for the Qatar trip, which it denied. The mayor's office then claimed the travel was paid for by the US Conference of Mayors. Advertisement In February of this year, the complaint states, Bowser's office asked the Qataris for a complete breakdown of the trip's expenses, which Doha described as an 'in-kind donation.' DC law requires a donation agreement with Qatar, but there is no record of such an understanding. In response to queries by WJLA, Bowser's office claimed it was undertaking proper record-keeping by asking Doha for an itemized record — so an agreement could be drawn up two years after the fact. The FACT complaint, first reported by Fox News, charges that Bowser has kept DC taxpayers in the dark about other trips to destinations as varied as Las Vegas, Miami and Augusta, Ga., where the Masters is held. Advertisement 'It is not simply the Qatar trip, but a troubling pattern from Mar-a-Lago to Doha to Augusta National — the District has no record of who paid for these trips or what public purpose they served, if there was one at all,' Kendra Arnold, executive director of FACT, said in a statement. 'The ethics rules exist to protect against corruption and when they are ignored, the public's trust erodes. I urge the Board to investigate and enforce the law without delay.' 3 DC Mayor Muriel Bowser has allegedly kept 'shoddy' records about her travels. Getty Images 3 The DC mayor has been keen on maintaining friendly relations with President Trump despite their policy differences. Getty Images Advertisement WJLA's investigation found that Bower's chief of staff, Lindsey Parker, submitted a receipt for a three-night stay at Dubai's Atlantis-The Palm Hotel, costing taxpayers a cool $3,500. The station noted that Parker's job description includes approving donations for official travel outside the US. The FACT complaint pointed to DC's strict rules that restrict the acceptance of gifts under most circumstances. 3 DC Mayor Muriel Bowser's team has been evasive about questions regarding her travels. Getty Images Advertisement 'Clearly Mayor Bowser's trip to Qatar qualifies as a gift, and one that elected officials are personally prohibited from accepting,' it read. 'Additionally, this gift would not qualify as a donation made to the District because the donation was not recorded and approved before the donation was used. The District still does not even have a record of it. 'The mayor and Qatar's retroactive description of the gift as an 'in-kind donation' should not carry any weight—both because this is a self-serving claim that was not made until years after the trip and because it does not meet the legal requirements to be categorized as one.' Bowser's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Yahoo
03-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
SCOOP: Liberal city mayor hit with ethics complaint over alleged lavish gifts
FIRST ON FOX: A nonpartisan government watchdog filed an ethics complaint against Washington, D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser on Tuesday morning. The complaint by the Foundation for Accountability and Civic Trust (FACT) requests the Board of Ethics and Government Accountability investigate Bowser for allegedly accepting illegal travel and hospitality gifts on high-profile trips to Doha, Qatar, for the 2023 United Nations Climate Change Conference, the Masters Golf Tournament in Augusta, Georgia, and trips to Dubai, Las Vegas, Miami and Mar-a-Lago. "The basic standard for elected officials is honest transparency, which means following all disclosure laws and willingly answering the public's questions. The mayor's unwillingness to provide basic information about numerous high-profile trips is unacceptable," Kendra Arnold, executive director of FACT, shared first with Fox News Digital. FACT cited WJLA's investigation into missing records from Bowser's prominent trips, in which they discovered Qatar paid Bowser and four staff members $61,930 to fly to the Middle East in 2023. Schumer Moves To Block Trump Doj Nominees As He Seeks Answers On Qatari Jet To Defense Department "It is not simply the Qatar trip, but a troubling pattern from Mar-A-Lago to Doha to Augusta National – the District has no record of who paid for these trips or what public purpose they served, if there was one at all," Arnold said. "The ethics rules exist to protect against corruption, and when they are ignored, the public's trust erodes. I urge the Board to investigate and enforce the law without delay." Read On The Fox News App Sanctuary City Mayors To Testify At House Oversight After Ag Bondi Cuts Them Off From Federal Funds While the Middle East trip should have been disclosed in order to be accepted as a legal donation to the District of Columbia, FACT said in the complaint that there is no record of who paid for the trip. "When questioned by the press, initially the mayor's office said the trip was paid for by the D.C. Chamber of Commerce. The Chamber said that was not true. Then, the mayor's office said the trip was paid for by the U.S. Conference of Mayors. That was also false," FACT claimed. Then, in February 2025, the mayor's office requested the trip's expense breakdown, labeled it an "in-kind donation" and sought a "retroactive donation agreement," despite the two years that passed, according to FACT. "Yet, unbelievably, it wasn't until a reporter's Freedom of Information Act request in March 2025 that this information was publicly revealed—more specifically that Qatar paid more than $61,930 for the trip the mayor's office was now attempting to retroactively describe as an 'in-kind donation.' As of May 2025, the District still does not have a record 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 no expense records for several more trips, including to the Masters Golf Tournament in Augusta, Georgia, and trips to Las Vegas, Miami and Mar-a-Lago. FACT accused Bowser of violating a "fundamental ethics principle" that prevents corruption and discourages elected officials from accepting bribes and donations. Under Washington, D.C., law, government officials cannot accept certain gifts, including trips, lodging and transportation. The law allows donations to the district itself if the government entity "uses the gift or donation to carry out its authorized functions or duties." In that case, detailed and accurate records must be available for "audit and public inspection." Those donations to the district must be "recorded and approved before the donation is used." "Clearly Mayor Bowser's trip to Qatar qualifies as a gift, and one that elected officials are personally prohibited from accepting. Additionally, this gift would not qualify as a donation made to the District because the donation was not recorded and approved before the donation was used. The District still does not even have a record of it," FACT concluded in the article source: SCOOP: Liberal city mayor hit with ethics complaint over alleged lavish gifts
Fox News
03-06-2025
- Business
- Fox News
SCOOP: Liberal city mayor hit with ethics complaint over alleged lavish gifts
FIRST ON FOX: A nonpartisan government watchdog filed an ethics complaint against Washington, D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser on Tuesday morning. The complaint by the Foundation for Accountability and Civic Trust (FACT) requests the Board of Ethics and Government Accountability investigate Bowser for allegedly accepting illegal travel and hospitality gifts on high-profile trips to Doha, Qatar, for the 2023 United Nations Climate Change Conference, the Masters Golf Tournament in Augusta, Georgia, and trips to Dubai, Las Vegas, Miami and Mar-a-Lago. "The basic standard for elected officials is honest transparency, which means following all disclosure laws and willingly answering the public's questions. The mayor's unwillingness to provide basic information about numerous high-profile trips is unacceptable," Kendra Arnold, executive director of FACT, shared first with Fox News Digital. FACT cited WJLA's investigation into missing records from Bowser's prominent trips, in which they discovered Qatar paid Bowser and four staff members $61,930 to fly to the Middle East in 2023. "It is not simply the Qatar trip, but a troubling pattern from Mar-A-Lago to Doha to Augusta National – the District has no record of who paid for these trips or what public purpose they served, if there was one at all," Arnold said. "The ethics rules exist to protect against corruption, and when they are ignored, the public's trust erodes. I urge the Board to investigate and enforce the law without delay." While the Middle East trip should have been disclosed in order to be accepted as a legal donation to the District of Columbia, FACT said in the complaint that there is no record of who paid for the trip. "When questioned by the press, initially the mayor's office said the trip was paid for by the D.C. Chamber of Commerce. The Chamber said that was not true. Then, the mayor's office said the trip was paid for by the U.S. Conference of Mayors. That was also false," FACT claimed. Then, in February 2025, the mayor's office requested the trip's expense breakdown, labeled it an "in-kind donation" and sought a "retroactive donation agreement," despite the two years that passed, according to FACT. "Yet, unbelievably, it wasn't until a reporter's Freedom of Information Act request in March 2025 that this information was publicly revealed—more specifically that Qatar paid more than $61,930 for the trip the mayor's office was now attempting to retroactively describe as an 'in-kind donation.' As of May 2025, the District still does not have a record 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 no expense records for several more trips, including to the Masters Golf Tournament in Augusta, Georgia, and trips to Las Vegas, Miami and Mar-a-Lago. FACT accused Bowser of violating a "fundamental ethics principle" that prevents corruption and discourages elected officials from accepting bribes and donations. Under Washington, D.C., law, government officials cannot accept certain gifts, including trips, lodging and transportation. The law allows donations to the district itself if the government entity "uses the gift or donation to carry out its authorized functions or duties." In that case, detailed and accurate records must be available for "audit and public inspection." Those donations to the district must be "recorded and approved before the donation is used." "Clearly Mayor Bowser's trip to Qatar qualifies as a gift, and one that elected officials are personally prohibited from accepting. Additionally, this gift would not qualify as a donation made to the District because the donation was not recorded and approved before the donation was used. The District still does not even have a record of it," FACT concluded in the complaint.
Ya Libnan
22-05-2025
- Politics
- Ya Libnan
Two staffers of Israeli embassy killed in Washington, suspect said' I did it for Gaza'
In this image taken from video provided by WJLA, law enforcement work the scene after two staff members of the Israeli embassy in Washington were shot and killed outside the Capital Jewish Museum on Wednesday, May 21, 2025, in Washington. (WJLA via AP) HIGHLIGHTS Israeli FM worried Israel's foreign minister says he's 'very worried' there would be more attacks against diplomats 'I'm very worried,' Sa'ar told reporters at a briefing in Jerusalem. 'I want to tell you that during the last months and weeks, we had a couple of incidents in several embassies.' Some of the attacks were even 'not reported,' he added, and they happened 'mainly in Europe.' British police said last month they had arrested and charged a man with a terrorism offence after he allegedly tried to break into the Israeli embassy in London with a bladed weapon. Israel said at the time that none of its embassy staff members were harmed and the building didn't suffer any damage either. CNBC
Sunday World
22-05-2025
- Politics
- Sunday World
Two Israeli embassy staff members shot dead in Washington DC outside Jewish museum
The two victims, a man and a woman, were leaving an event at the Capital Jewish Museum when the 30-year-old suspect approached a group of four people and opened fire Law enforcement works the scene after two staff members of the Israeli embassy in Washington were shot and killed outside the Capital Jewish Museum (WJLA via AP) Two staff members of the Israeli embassy were shot and killed on Wednesday evening while leaving an event at a Jewish museum in the nation's capital, and the suspect yelled 'free, free Palestine' after he was arrested, police said. The two victims, a man and a woman, were leaving an event at the Capital Jewish Museum when the 30-year-old suspect approached a group of four people and opened fire, Metropolitan Police Chief Pamela Smith said at a news conference. Ms Smith said the suspect was observed pacing outside the museum before the shooting, walked into the museum after the shooting and was detained by event security. When he was taken into custody, the man began chanting, 'free, free Palestine,' Ms Smith said. Law enforcement work the scene after two staff members of the Israeli embassy in Washington were shot and killed outside the Capital Jewish Museum on Wednesday in Washington (WJLA via AP) Israeli ambassador to the US Yechiel Leiter said the two people killed were a young couple about to be engaged, saying the man had purchased a ring this week with the intent to propose next week in Jerusalem. Attorney general Pam Bondi said she was at the scene with former judge Jeanine Pirro, who serves as the US attorney in Washington and whose office would prosecute the case. 'These horrible DC killings, based obviously on antisemitism, must end, NOW!' president Donald Trump posted on social media. 'Hatred and Radicalism have no place in the USA. Condolences to the families of the victims. So sad that such things as this can happen! God Bless You ALL!' Israeli President Isaac Herzog said he was 'devastated' by the scenes in Washington. He said: 'This is a despicable act of hatred, of antisemitism, which has claimed the lives of two young employees of the Israeli embassy. Our hearts are with the loved ones of those murdered, and our immediate prayers are with the injured. I send my full support to the Ambassador and all the embassy staff.' He added: 'We stand with the Jewish community in DC and across the US. America and Israel will stand united in defence of our people and our shared values. Terror and hate will not break us.' Yoni Kalin and Katie Kalisher were inside the museum when they heard gunshots and a man came inside looking distressed, they said. Mr Kalin said people came to his aid and brought him water, thinking he needed help, without realising he was the suspect. We need your consent to load this Social Media content. We use a number of different Social Media outlets to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review your details and accept them to load the content When police arrived, he pulled out a red keffiyeh and repeatedly yelled, 'Free Palestine,'' Mr Kalin said. 'This event was about humanitarian aid,' Mr Kalin said. 'How can we actually help both the people in Gaza and the people in Israel? How can we bring together Muslims and Jews and Christians to work together to actually help innocent people? And then here he is just murdering two people in cold blood.' The Jewish Federation of Greater Washington said in a statement that they are horrified by the shooting and 'mourn the loss of the two individuals killed in the attack'. 'Our hearts are with their families and loved ones, and with all of those who are impacted by this tragic act of antisemitic violence,' the federation said. Law enforcement works the scene after two staff members of the Israeli embassy in Washington were shot and killed outside the Capital Jewish Museum (WJLA via AP) News in 90 Seconds - May 22nd
