Report: Trump’s DOJ reportedly investigating DC mayor for foreign trip paid for by Qatar

The next Black woman to be targeted by the Trump administration is Mayor Muriel E. Bowser of Washington, DC The New York Times reported that the Department of Justice (DOJ) has opened a federal corruption investigation into an overseas trip she took it with her staff paid by Qatar.

According to reports, the investigation, overseen by the US attorney’s office in Washington, has been going on for months, starting in April 2025, following a report from a local TV affiliate when Bowser and four members of her staff took a trip to Dubai for a United Nations conference in 2023. A letter from Qatari officials to Bowser’s office highlights that Qatar paid more than $61,000 to bring Bowser and her team to Doha before the conference began. When questioned about the trip, the mayor’s office said it was paid for by the D.C. Chamber of Commerce, but then claimed it was covered by a nonpartisan organization, the U.S. Conference of Mayors.

However, it later turned out that the organization only paid for part of the trip.

The confusion resulted in an ethics complaint filed by a nonprofit called the Foundation for Accountability and Civic Trust, once led by acting attorney general during President Donald Trump’s first term, Matthew G. Whitaker. While it is unknown how far the ethics complaint went, the mayor’s office released a statement defending the journeyand said it was strictly business. Moreover, according to Newsweekthey are in the dark about the DOJ’s alleged investigation. “We have contacted our attorneys and the District has not been made aware of any investigation. This was a business trip; DC representatives travel regularly to promote Washington as a destination for investment and growth,” the statement said.

“This regular work has helped bring investment, infrastructure, new businesses, new supermarkets, growth and jobs to the district.”

The parameters surrounding the case are still unclear, including determining whether Bowser’s office did anything for the Qatari government in exchange for the trip, which would be a key element for allegations of possible bribery. Criminal cases involving campaign finance law should reveal any misconduct or intentional misstatements, rather than just errors in paperwork.

The timing of the alleged investigation is interesting because Trump has pressured the DOJ to prosecute some political enemies — many of whom are Black, Democratic women leaders — and has also fired federal prosecutors who do not submit to his orders. However, this is not the first time that political leaders have come under scrutiny for their relations with the Middle East.

The president is one of them. Just months after taking office, the administration came under fire from Congress after formally accepting a 747 jetliner from Qatar, billed as an upgrade to Air Force One. Worth nearly $200 million, the massive plane is one of the largest foreign gifts ever given to the U.S. government.

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