{"id":2241093,"date":"2024-05-09T16:07:02","date_gmt":"2024-05-09T20:07:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/dc-mayor-muriel-bowser-under-fire-for-taking-private-jet-trip-with-donor-to-masters\/"},"modified":"2024-05-09T16:10:17","modified_gmt":"2024-05-09T20:10:17","slug":"dc-mayor-muriel-bowser-under-fire-for-taking-private-jet-trip-with-donor-to-masters","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/dc-mayor-muriel-bowser-under-fire-for-taking-private-jet-trip-with-donor-to-masters\/","title":{"rendered":"DC Mayor Muriel Bowser faces criticism for private jet trip to Masters with donor"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">28<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fdc-mayor-muriel-bowser-under-fire-for-taking-private-jet-trip-with-donor-to-masters%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2241093&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>Washington, D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser, a Democrat, is facing ethics scrutiny for accepting a trip to the Masters <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/sheriff-no-fees-planned-for-padraig-harrington-crash-purely-an-accident\/\" title=\"Sheriff: No Fees Planned For TIGER WOODS, Crash \u2018Purely An Accident\u2019\">golf tournament<\/a> funded by \u200cCEO Jodie\u2063 McLean. The trip raised transparency concerns, as Bowser \u2064listed it \u2062as an &#8220;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/ex-cuomo-aide-makes-shocking-sexual-harassment-allegation\/\" title=\"Ex-Cuomo Aide Makes Shocking Sexual Harassment Allegation\">economic development<\/a>&#8221; journey. \u2064Despite \u2063promises of reimbursement, questions about gift \u200dlaws and\u200c potential conflicts of interest arise\u2064 due to McLean&#8217;s donations and business ties in\u2064 D.C.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<div>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/washington-dc\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"Washington D.C.\">Washington, D.C.<\/a>, Mayor <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/muriel-bowser\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>Muriel Bowser<\/a>, a Democrat, is facing scrutiny from ethics <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/watchdog\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>watchdog<\/a> groups for accepting a trip to the Masters golf tournament from a business mogul with investments in the district \u2014 who also happens to be a Bowser donor.<\/p>\n<p>Bowser flew to the exclusive Augusta, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/georgia\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>Georgia<\/a>-based tournament in April with CEO Jodie McLean of the real estate developer EDENS on a private jet that McLean\u2019s company arranged, the <em>Washington City Paper<\/em> <a href=\"https:\/\/washingtoncitypaper.com\/article\/694319\/the-secrecy-surrounding-bowsers-trip-to-the-masters\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>reported<\/a>, noting tickets on the flight run between $5,000 and $6,000. The ritzy trip was planned with the understanding from both parties \u201cthat the expense would be reimbursed,\u201d according to EDENS, but ethics experts are concerned about an apparent lack of government transparency over the excursion.\u00a0On her schedule at the time, Bowser had listed it as a \u201csports and economic development\u201d trip.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMayor Bowser appears to have encroached upon numerous violations of D.C.\u2019s gift laws for public officials, which she is now back-peddling on in an effort to correct the violations,\u201d Craig Holman, an ethics expert for the Public Citizen think tank, told the <em>Washington Examiner<\/em>. <\/p>\n<p>Holman pointed to how Washington, D.C.\u2019s ethics manual outlines that district employees are not allowed to accept gifts above certain values from individuals with business pending before the district. While Bowser has since sought to correct the record and make clear she will apparently issue a reimbursement for the travel, she has acted in secrecy and evaded public inspection, said Holman, pointing to other rules concerning the need for employees to keep accurate records of any gifts.<\/p>\n<p>The developing Bowser controversy is opening the mayor up to conflict of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/south-dakota-ag-facing-three-misdemeanors-after-fatally-striking-pedestrian-along-highway\/\" title=\"South Dakota AG Facing Three Misdemeanors After Fatally Striking Pedestrian Along Highway\">interest concerns<\/a> since EDENS reportedly has Washington, D.C., real estate assets \u2014 including a retail and dining space that runs 40 acres in the neighborhood of Union Market.<\/p>\n<p>The company\u2019s CEO, McLean, has donated to Bowser in the past, according to a <em>Washington Examiner<\/em> review of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/cbs-slammed-for-smearing-ron-desantis-on-60-minutes-one-of-the-more-blatant-political-hatchet-jobs\/\" title=\"CBS Slammed For Smearing Ron DeSantis On \u201860 Minutes\u2019: \u2018One Of The More Blatant Political Hatchet Jobs\u2019\">campaign finance records<\/a>. McLean directed $2,000 to Bowser\u2019s campaign in 2018 and, in 2014, had also given Bowser $2,000. <\/p>\n<figure><figcaption>District of Columbia Mayor Muriel Bowser takes questions during a news conference in Washington, Wednesday, Dec. 13, 2023. (AP Photo\/Susan Walsh)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The D.C. mayor\u2019s office has not yet released crucial details about the Masters trip, including its total cost and what events Bowser attended at the golf tournament, the <em>Washington City Paper<\/em> reported.<\/p>\n<p>To Kendra Arnold, executive director of the Foundation for Accountability and Civic Trust watchdog group, the government must always be transparent with its spending to keep taxpayers in the loop.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnytime there is secrecy, like in this case, it raises questions and with the currently known facts here, it does look suspicious and requires investigation and answers,\u201d Arnold told the <em>Washington Examiner<\/em>. <\/p>\n<p>Caitlin Sutherland, who leads the Americans for Public Trust watchdog group, said Bowser\u2019s effort to try to clean up the ethical lapse isn\u2019t surprising given her <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/conservative-group-urges-democrat-senators-to-vote-against-hhs-secy-nominee-xavier-becerra\/\" title=\"Conservative group urges Democrat senators to vote against HHS secy. nominee Xavier Becerra\">poor track record<\/a> of permitting <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/crime\/2911036\/capital-punishment-dc-crime-stats-in-early-2024-could-be-on-track-to-rebound-after-deadly-2023\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>lawlessness<\/a> in the district. Washington, D.C., has seen a significant spike in homicides <a href=\"https:\/\/www.axios.com\/2024\/03\/19\/muriel-bowser-dc-crime-critics\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>during<\/a> her time as mayor.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhile D.C. residents suffer from the rising crime and chaos in her own city, Mayor Bowser enjoyed a lavish trip to the Masters that appears to flaunt gift restrictions,\u201d Sutherland said. \u201cNow that the mayor has been caught, she\u2019s attempting to course correct and forcing taxpayers to foot the bill.\u201d <\/p>\n<p>One group, the American Accountability Foundation, called Bowser\u2019s trip \u201can embarrassment and unethical.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><strong>CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe city cannot provide basic services such as law enforcement and public schooling and the mayor is saddling the city with thousands of dollars for her to go hang out at Augusta National,\u201d said Tom Jones, who directs the organization.<\/p>\n<p>The <em>Washington Examiner<\/em> has reached out for comment to the D.C. mayor\u2019s office.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Washington, D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser, a Democrat, is under ethics scrutiny for a trip to the Masters golf tournament. The trip was funded by CEO Jodie McLean, a business mogul and Bowser donor with district investments. Bowser flew to the exclusive Augusta event in April, drawing attention from ethics watchdog groups<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":381,"featured_media":2241094,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/wex-s3.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/AP24087807381941-1024x683.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[538],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2241093","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-washington-examiner"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/wex-s3.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/AP24087807381941-1024x683.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2241093","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/381"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2241093"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2241093\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2241094"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2241093"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2241093"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2241093"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}