Overview

• On June 3, the Foundation for Accountability and Civic Trust lodged a complaint asking the Board of Ethics and Government Accountability to probe Bowser’s acceptance of alleged improper gifts and travel.
• Investigators determined Qatar paid $61,930 for Bowser and four staffers to attend the 2023 U.N. Climate Change Conference in Doha, a payment her office initially misattributed to other organizations.
• In February 2025, two years after the Doha trip, Bowser’s office sought a retroactive donation agreement and labeled the expenses as an in-kind gift to the District.
• The District has no expense records for her high-profile trips to Augusta’s Masters Tournament, Las Vegas, Miami, Mar-a-Lago or Dubai, prompting questions about transparency and legal compliance.
• The Board of Ethics and Government Accountability must decide whether Bowser violated D.C. law barring personal acceptance of travel gifts and what penalties may apply.