Mayor Bowser defends trip to the Masters

WASHINGTON - D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser is about to embark on a business trip to Las Vegas this weekend while facing transparency concerns about her last trip to Augusta, Georgia.

A Washington City Paper article was first to highlight key details about her trip to the Masters last month.

The trip took place on April 13 and was billed on the mayor’s public calendar as part of a "sports and economic development visit."

The Washington City Paper article, "The Secrecy Surrounding Bowser’s Trip to the Masters," dated May 8 and written by WAMU’s Tom Sherwood, questions the mayor’s trip, who she was involved with and why the mayor’s office is still not revealing certain details involving taxpayer money if the city is to reimburse the trip.

The article notes how the mayor apparently went with a senior advisor and her chief of staff to one of the most elite events in golfing on an invitation.

The Mayor’s spokesperson previously confirmed Bowser and her team were invited by two women chairing a new Gallery Place/Chinatown Task Force.

However, Sherwood sheds light on how one of those chairs is actually a top executive with a major real estate company that does millions in business in D.C. This person was identified as  Chief Executive Officer for EDENS, Jode McLean.

It was also reported the invitation came with the understanding that the trip would be reimbursed and that requests for details, including the total cost of the trip, have not been provided.

"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 was not able to answer what the cost of the tickets to the Masters was. 

When further asked about the trip, the Mayor told FOX 5, "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."

FOX 5 reached out to both Events DC and EDENS. Neither have responded to our request for comment.

The article noted the mayor’s chief of staff had paid for the trip on her own.

When asked about the story, and why this economic trip was kept secretive, Mayor Bowser told FOX 5, "You know the reason why you know about the trip? Because it was on my public schedule. That’s not a secret."

"What our scope is, you heard me mention, one thing that’s in our budget and planned for a $60 million project that would allow us to build an indoor sports complex for DPR and for the residents of the District of Columbia. So let me be clear, me attending just like we attend with developers a lot of events, doesn’t preclude any developer from being involved with us on any of our projects," she added, when asked if she’d be working with EDENS on any plans for the RFK site.

Mayor Bowser confirmed that she spoke with the ethics office, and their advice was to not accept the gift and pay for it.

She'll travel to Las Vegas for the International Council of Shopping Centers next. 

A description of the event on the mayor’s public calendar reads: "On Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday, Mayor Bowser will attend the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC) in Las Vegas, NV to attract retail to the District of Columbia. This economic mission is coordinated by the Washington, DC Economic Partnership, which has organized the District’s presence at ICSC since 2001."

On May 24, the mayor plans to launch her Downtown D.C. Action Plan.