D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser is facing backlash after details have emerged of a “business trip” she took to Augusta, Georgia in April.
According to FOX 5 DC, Bowser had visited the city in Georgia to attend the Masters. At the time, she was there as part of a “sports and economic development visit,” according to the mayor’s public calendar. But some argue that the trip was for personal reasons – and may have been on the ta
In a Washington City Paper article titled “The Secrecy Surrounding Bowser’s Trip to the Masters,” details who the mayor was with and questions whether taxpayer money funded the trip.
“The mayor’s office has declined to release significant details of her excursion, the total costs of travel, and exclusive events she attended while at the Masters,” the article reads. “The mayor did confirm in a phone call this week that she was the guest of the EDENS company and that she had lunch at the tournament with Russell (Rusty) Lindner, a prominent D.C. businessperson who has close ties to the University of Georgia and access to the inner-circle amenities as a member at Augusta National Golf Club.”
It continues: “At the Masters, sources confirm Bowser “ran into” her former chief of staff and deputy mayor John Falcicchio, who resigned a year ago amid lurid sexual misconduct. Sources say the mayor and Falcicchio spoke only briefly and that he was not part of the mayor’s entourage. Falcicchio could not be reached for comment about his Masters’ trip.”
The article further highlights how the mayor evidently attended the Masters with a senior advisor and her chief of staff.
“We tried to be transparent, so I don’t know what questions you have that remain. We disclosed – I don’t know what questions you have that remain; we expect an invoice if it hasn’t – we haven’t received it yet from EDENS,” said D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser to FOX 5 Reporter Stephanie Ramirez, “… I believe that the estimated costs were in the range of $5-$6,000 and that’s for air travel … per person.”
The mayor would not answer how much the tickets to the Masters cost when asked by FOX 5 DC, although she did say: “Listen, voters have placed their trust in me to make the best decisions for the District for the last 15 years, including three elections as mayor. We made no secret about the fact that we make sports investments. We are the sports capital, and we are going to promote the District in every corner of the world, and that has been my experience as mayor.”
