Washington, D.C. Mayor Muriel E. Bowser has reportedly become the latest Black woman in public office to face scrutiny from the Trump Administration’s Department of Justice.
This follows revelations that federal prosecutors are investigating a foreign-funded trip she took to the Middle East.
According to The New York Times, the Justice Department has opened a federal corruption investigation into a 2023 trip Bowser and several members of her staff took to Dubai and Doha, allegedly paid for — at least in part — by the government of Qatar.
The inquiry, said to be overseen by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Washington, D.C., reportedly began in April 2025 and has continued quietly for months.
At the center of the controversy is a $61,000 payment from Qatari officials that allegedly covered travel and lodging for Bowser’s delegation before they attended a United Nations conference in Dubai. A letter obtained by reporters showed Qatar’s government footing the bill to host Bowser and her team in Doha prior to the event.
When questions arose earlier this year, Bowser’s office initially said the trip was funded by the D.C. Chamber of Commerce, then later clarified that expenses were covered by the U.S. Conference of Mayors, a nonpartisan organization that often facilitates official delegations abroad.
It was later revealed that the group only covered a portion of the trip’s costs — fueling speculation and an eventual ethics complaint filed by the Foundation for Accountability and Civic Trust (FACT), a conservative watchdog group previously led by Matthew G. Whitaker, who briefly served as Acting Attorney General under Donald Trump.
Bowser’s Office Responds
In a statement to Newsweek, the mayor’s office said they had received no official notification of any investigation from the Justice Department.
“We have checked with our lawyers, and the District has not been notified of any investigation,” the statement read. “This was a business trip; D.C. representatives regularly travel to promote Washington as a destination for investment and growth. This regular work has helped bring investment, infrastructure, new business, new grocery stores, growth, and jobs to the District.”
Bowser’s team insists the trip was entirely legitimate, part of ongoing efforts to attract international investment to Washington.
Still, the probe raises questions about whether her office accepted benefits from a foreign government — and if any actions were taken in return — a central concern in potential bribery or ethics cases involving public officials.
At this stage, no charges or formal findings have been announced.
Trump DOJ’s Pattern of Targeting Black Women Leaders
What makes the reported probe stand out is its timing and political context.
Since returning to office, Trump has repeatedly used the Justice Department as a weapon against political adversaries — particularly Black Democratic women in leadership roles, from prosecutors to mayors.
The move to investigate Bowser comes amid growing tension between the administration and local governments led by Democrats who have openly resisted Trump’s policies. D.C., under Bowser’s leadership, has been particularly vocal about defending reproductive rights, immigrant protections, and voting access — all flashpoints with Trump’s base.
Political observers argue that even if the allegations around the Qatar trip warrant review, the selective nature of Trump-era investigations suggests something deeper than concern over travel reimbursements.
The Qatar Connection: Not the First Time
Qatar’s influence in U.S. politics has long been a delicate subject. Ironically, Trump himself has faced criticism over his own administration’s cozy dealings with the wealthy Gulf state.
Just months into his current term, his administration accepted a 747 jetliner from Qatar, valued at nearly $200 million, as an “upgrade” to Air Force One — one of the most expensive foreign gifts ever received by the U.S. government. That gift sparked questions from Congress about foreign influence, transparency, and reciprocity.
Yet while the Trump administration brushed off its own ties to Qatari wealth, the DOJ’s focus appears to have narrowed on local leaders like Bowser — a political opponent, and notably, one of the most visible Black women mayors in the country.
Politics, Optics, and Power
If true, the DOJ’s pursuit of Mayor Bowser marks another flashpoint in what critics call a weaponized justice system, where investigations are as much about optics as legality.
Bowser’s political independence, coupled with her identity as a Black woman in power, makes her an easy symbol for an administration eager to project toughness against “blue city corruption.” Yet, as past DOJ-led “scandals” have shown, political theater often overshadows actual wrongdoing.
Until concrete evidence surfaces, the case risks looking less like an ethics probe and more like a political statement.
