Major Controversies Surrounding Muriel Bowser: A Detailed Timeline

A closer look at the most debated and controversial moments involving Muriel Bowser.

Muriel Bowser is an American politician currently serving as the mayor of the District of Columbia since 2015. A Democrat, Bowser previously served as the Councilmember for Ward 4 from 2007 to 2015. She is the second female mayor of Washington D.C., following Sharon Pratt, but the first woman to be re-elected to the position. Her tenure as mayor has focused on affordable housing, education, and economic development in the district.

Sections (4)

Full Timeline Career & Achievements Challenges & Struggles Controversies & Scandals

2014: Accepted illegal campaign donations

In 2014, Bowser accepted illegal campaign donations during her campaign.

2014: Husband of Veritas CEO Donates to Bowser Campaign

In 2014, the husband of the Veritas CEO, who later received the United Medical Center contract in 2016, was a major donor to the Bowser campaign.

October 2015: Exelon and Pepco Merger Support

In October 2015, Bowser changed her position to support the $6.4-billion merger between Exelon and Pepco, drawing criticism for a lack of transparency and potential ethics concerns. Community activists alleged Bowser was swayed by a $25 million pledge to rename the future MLS Soccer Stadium as Pepco Park.

November 2015: FreshPAC Shut Down

In November 2015, FreshPAC, a political action committee intended to advance Bowser's agenda, was shut down following outcry from the Washington Post, members of the D.C. Council, and other stakeholders. FreshPAC accepted unlimited contributions and was chaired by Earle "Chico" Horton III.

December 2015: Exelon Payment to FreshPAC Chairman

In December 2015, it was revealed that Exelon had paid the chairman of FreshPAC, a political action committee affiliated with Bowser's allies, as a lobbyist, further fueling ethics concerns surrounding Bowser's support for the Exelon-Pepco merger.

2015: DC Public Schools Chancellor Allows Preferential Treatment

In 2015, D.C. Public Schools Chancellor Kaya Henderson routinely bent or broke school placement rules to give preferential treatment to well-connected parents. Senior Bowser appointees benefited from this misuse of authority, bypassing the competitive DCPS lottery system.

January 2016: Credit Card Abuse by Former Executives

In January 2016, the D.C. Trust's board learned that former executives used funds to pay tens of thousands of dollars in credit-card charges, including some for personal use.

February 2016: Bowser Unveils Plan for Housing Homeless Families

In February 2016, Bowser unveiled a plan to provide housing for homeless families following the closure of District of Columbia General Hospital, announcing the location of one shelter in each of the District's eight wards without community consultation.

March 2016: Sites Selected for Homeless Shelters Linked to Bowser's Contributors

In March 2016, it was revealed that many of the sites selected for homeless shelters were connected to Bowser's contributors. The monthly cost per unit was $4,500 on average each year for at least the next 20 years. Bowser lashed out at Chairman Phil Mendelson due to the D.C. Council's efforts to devise its own plan.

April 2016: D.C. Trust Bankruptcy

In April 2016, the D.C. Trust declared bankruptcy and announced plans to dissolve, attributed in part to overspending. The agency suffered a history of abuse and mismanagement.

2016: Praising Raul Castro

In 2016, Bowser praised Raul Castro, leading to later criticism in 2021 when she removed the "CUBA LIBRE" painting in front of the Cuban embassy.

2016: United Medical Center Management Awarded to Veritas

In 2016, United Medical Center was the sole government-owned hospital in D.C. In March of that year, the D.C Council awarded the management of UMC to Veritas, a two-year-old politically connected firm.

2016: Department of General Services Resignation and Firings

In 2016, the head of D.C.'s Department of General Services resigned and contracting officials were fired following the award of a large construction project, leading to allegations of contracts being channeled to a major Bowser campaign donor, Fort Myer Construction.

2017: Cheh Report Findings

In 2017, Councilmember Mary Cheh's report found questionable firings and illegal sharing of confidential information with Fort Myer Construction, a major Bowser campaign donor. The report also found that the D.C. City Administrator had urged quick settlement of unresolved contract disputes with Fort Myer, leading to $4 million in payouts to the firm.

2017: Fined for Campaign Finance Violations

In 2017, the D.C. Office of Campaign Finance fined Bowser's campaign committee $13,000 for accepting contributions beyond legal maximums during her 2014 mayoral campaign. The campaign returned the illegal contributions.

2017: Snowden Misuse of City Employees

In 2017, the Inspector General found that Snowden had improperly used city employees to care for her child. Bowser stated that appropriate management action had been taken without specifying the action.

April 2018: Lopez Makes Anti-Semitic Remark at Rally

In April 2018, Joshua Lopez, Bowser's nominee to the D.C. Housing Authority board, held a loudspeaker at a rally while a representative of the Nation of Islam spoke, calling Councilmember Elissa Silverman "a fake jew". Bowser called for an apology but resisted calls for his resignation.

2018: Cyclist Protests

Following a pair of biking fatalities in the summer of 2018, cyclists protested that Bowser had failed at promoting traffic safety.

2018: Bowser's School Chancellor Manipulates School System; Investigation Launched

In 2018, Bowser's Schools chancellor Antwan Wilson manipulated the system to transfer his daughter to a preferred school, leading to his resignation and prompting investigations by the FBI, the U.S. Department of Education, and the D.C. Office of the Inspector General into D.C. Public Schools management.

2018: Non-Renewal of Contract for Office of Open Government Head

In early 2018, the D.C. Board of Ethics and Government Accountability voted not to renew the contract of Traci Hughes, head of the Office of Open Government. It was said that Hughes was being punished for enforcing District regulations on government transparency, and that she had been subjected to pressure to ease off her role.

May 2019: D.C. Auditor Finds Funding Issues with Housing Production Trust Fund

In May 2019, the D.C. auditor found that the Housing Production Trust Fund had awarded funding to poorly rated proposals, including one with the lowest score, and that the successful but low rated projects were all proposed by developers who had made contributions to the mayor's campaign.

2019: Bike Advocate Fatality

In 2019, a prominent bike advocate was struck and killed by a driver along a stretch of road that was known to be dangerous, further highlighting the challenges in achieving Vision Zero's goals.

2019: Handcuffing of Young Children

In 2019, the Metropolitan Police Department handcuffed a 9-year-old and a 10-year-old in separate incidents, sparking public outrage. Bowser responded by saying "every case is different" and questioning the appropriateness of circulating photos of juveniles.

June 2020: Removed Data From Government Website

In June 2020, during a rush to reopen the District, Bowser's administration removed data from the government's website to avoid displaying how it had failed to meet a key metric regarding COVID-19.

November 2020: Traveled to Delaware for Biden Victory Celebration

In November 2020, Bowser traveled to Delaware with senior staff for a celebration of Joe Biden's victory, despite the elevated risk of Coronavirus and a travel advisory discouraging visits, leading to criticism that she violated her own protocols.

January 6, 2021: Capitol Riot and Curfew Imposition

On January 6, 2021, during the storming of the US Capitol, Bowser imposed a curfew in response to the pro-Trump rioters and insurrectionists protesting the results of the 2020 presidential election.

July 2021: Announced and Violated Indoor Mask Mandate

In July 2021, Bowser announced a new indoor mask mandate in response to the rising number of COVID-19 cases. On the day that the reinstated mandate took effect, Bowser was found to have officiated an indoor wedding while unmasked.

October 2021: Neil Albert Resignation

In October 2021, the Chair of the D.C. Housing Authority, Neil Albert, resigned after it was revealed he had channeled contracts to a romantic partner. Bowser had supported Albert before his departure. His replacement, Dionne Bussey-Reeder, also had issues with unpaid income taxes.

2021: "CUBA LIBRE" Painting Controversy

During the 2021 Cuban protests in July, the words "CUBA LIBRE" were painted in front of the Cuban embassy in support of the Cuban people, but were removed by the Bowser administration, who classified the words as "unauthorized", causing controversy.

2021: Controversy over Bowser's Tweet after Carjacking Murder

In 2021, following the murder of Mohammad Anwar, an Uber Eats driver, during a carjacking, Muriel Bowser tweeted that carjackings were crimes of opportunity, which was perceived as blaming the victim. This tweet was later deleted, but the incident sparked accusations of racial bias. Carjackings in DC that year were four times higher than the previous year.

2021: District's Crime Lab Loses Accreditation; Bowser Honors Head of Lab

In 2021, the District's forensic crime lab lost its accreditation after concealing conflicting findings and pressuring examiners. Subsequently, a criminal investigation and the resignation of the lab's head, Dr. Jenifer Smith, occurred. Days after the news broke, Bowser honored Smith as part of the 'Washington Women of Excellence Awards'.

April 2022: Migrant Crisis

Beginning in April 2022, Texas and Arizona started sending migrants to D.C., leading to a 'migrant crisis'. Bowser criticized the governors of Texas and Arizona and requested assistance from the National Guard.