DC Mayor Bowser is not the target of Justice Department investigation, officials say

The Justice Department is scrutinizing a travel that Washington, D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser took to Qatar, but the politician is not a people of the investigation, a idiosyncratic acquainted with the substance told The Associated Press, The probe into a travel Bowser took w...

WASHINGTON -- The Justice Department is scrutinizing a travel that Washington, D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser took to Qatar, but the politician is not a people of the investigation, a idiosyncratic acquainted with the substance told The Associated Press connected Friday.

The probe into a travel Bowser took with unit successful 2023 is focused connected a lobbyist tied to the Democratic mayor, according to the person, who spoke connected the information of anonymity to sermon the investigation.

The New York Times reported Thursday that national prosecutors successful Washington had opened a corruption probe into Bowser and were looking into imaginable violations of bribery oregon run concern laws related to the trip.

But Washington's apical national prosecutor, U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro, said successful a connection Friday that the politician is “not nether investigation, nor is she the people of immoderate investigation.” A spokesperson for Pirro declined to further comment.

Asked astir the probe astatine a property league Friday, Bowser said she had not been contacted by immoderate national officials and had not received immoderate subpoenas, nor a people letter.

“I person checked our lawyers, and we person a regular benignant of concatenation of who talks to who and we person not been contacted, not related to maine oregon to anybody other arsenic I’m aware," Bowser said.

The travel successful question included a halt successful Doha, wherever the politician met with planetary leaders connected the issues of infrastructure, sports and education. She besides promoted Washington arsenic a destination for concern and tourism. Qatar donated $60,000 to assistance screen the outgo of the travel for the politician and members of her party.

Bowser told reporters Friday that it was “a concern trip, a publically noticed travel to beforehand Washington, D.C., successful Qatar."

“That's what we did and we don't person immoderate bones astir saying it,” she said. The politician credited the travel with helping the metropolis to support 2 of its nonrecreational sports teams successful the downtown area.

The scrutiny of the travel comes a clip erstwhile the politician is deciding whether to question a 4th term.

It besides comes astatine a captious infinitesimal erstwhile the metropolis is responding to a authorities shutdown that has impacted businesses and a national workforce arsenic good arsenic a continuing deployment of National Guard troops connected the thoroughfare done astatine slightest February 2026.

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