Major Controversies Surrounding Muriel Bowser: A Detailed Timeline

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

Muriel Elizabeth Bowser is an American politician and the current mayor of the District of Columbia, serving since 2015. A Democrat, she previously served as the Councilmember for Ward 4 from 2007 to 2015. Bowser is the second female mayor of Washington, D.C., and the first African-American woman to win three consecutive mayoral elections. Her tenure has focused on managing the city's growth and addressing issues like affordable housing and education.

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Full Timeline Career & Achievements Challenges & Struggles Controversies & Scandals

2007: Harry Thomas Jr. embezzled funds from D.C. Trust

Former councilmember Harry Thomas Jr. was found guilty on felony charges for embezzling $350,000 of the D.C. Trust's funds between 2007 and 2009.

2009: Harry Thomas Jr. embezzled funds from D.C. Trust

Former councilmember Harry Thomas Jr. was found guilty on felony charges for embezzling $350,000 of the D.C. Trust's funds between 2007 and 2009.

2012: Bowser Ran for Reelection

In 2012, Bowser ran for reelection and stated she would accept donations from corporations, leading to criticism regarding the influence of developers and corporate donors.

2013: Congressional investigators concluded that the agency lacked controls

In 2013, Congressional investigators concluded that the agency lacked controls to properly administer a $20 million-a-year, federally funded school-voucher program.

2014: Campaign Committee Accepted Excess Contributions

In 2014, Bowser's campaign committee accepted contributions beyond legal maximums during her mayoral campaign.

February 2015: Cancellation of Public Facility for Art Exhibitions

In February 2015, Bowser cancelled the creation of a public facility for art exhibitions, lectures, and educational activities by the Institute for Contemporary Expression, citing financial concerns.

October 2015: Bowser supports Exelon and Pepco merger

In October 2015, Bowser changed her position to support the $6.4-billion merger between Exelon and Pepco. The decision faced criticism regarding transparency and potential ethical concerns.

November 2015: FreshPAC Shut Down

In November 2015, FreshPAC, a political action committee intended to advance Muriel Bowser's agenda, was shut down following criticism from the Washington Post and others. It had accepted unlimited contributions due to a legislative loophole.

December 2015: Exelon paid chairman of FreshPAC as a lobbyist

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.

2015: Preferential Treatment in School Placements

In 2015, D.C. Public Schools chancellor Kaya Henderson gave preferential treatment to well-connected parents, including two senior Bowser appointees, for school enrollments, bypassing the competitive DCPS lottery system.

January 2016: D.C. Trust board learns of misuse of funds

In January 2016, the D.C. Trust's board learned that a former executive director and financial officer used funds to pay tens of thousands of dollars in credit-card charges, including some for personal use. Bowser had recently provided $700,000 in taxpayer funding to the agency.

March 2016: Controversy Over Homeless Shelter Sites

In March 2016, it was revealed that many of the sites selected for homeless shelters were connected to Bowser's contributors, and the monthly cost per unit was high.

April 2016: The D.C. Trust declares bankruptcy

In April 2016, the D.C. Trust, a government-funded entity, declared bankruptcy, attributed in part to overspending. The agency had a history of mismanagement, including a former councilmember embezzling funds and a lack of controls over a federally funded school-voucher program. Bowser had recently provided $700,000 in funding to the agency.

2016: Bowser praises Raul Castro

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. By July 20, the words were removed by the Bowser administration, who classified the words as "unauthorized". Bowser received criticism for her double standard of praising Raul Castro in 2016.

2016: Officer shootings and body cam footage in the Metropolitan Police Department

From 2016 to 2018 there were 25 involved officer shootings. As of April 2019 only three instances of body cam footage had been released.

2016: Department of General Services Head Resigned

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.

2017: Animal Regulations Proposed and Withdrawn

In 2017, Muriel Bowser proposed several animal regulations, including a ban on backyard chickens, but the proposals were withdrawn following public backlash. Later the same year, restrictions on dogs in outdoor bar patios were eased after public objections.

2017: Report Found Questionable Firings and Illegal Information Sharing

In 2017, a report found questionable firings and illegal sharing of confidential information related to a major Bowser campaign donor. Bowser refused to comment on the report.

2017: Campaign Committee Fined

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

2017: Inspector General finds Snowden improperly used city employees

In 2017, the Inspector General found that Courtney Snowden had improperly used city employees to care for her child. Bowser stated that appropriate management action had been taken but did not elaborate.

March 2018: Report of taxpayer money spent on sexual harassment settlements

In March 2018, it was reported that taxpayers had spent at least $735,000 to settle sexual harassment suits, highlighting the Bowser administration's lack of full understanding of the issue and plans to improve tracking of complaints and settlements.

April 2018: Controversy Surrounding Joshua Lopez

In April 2018, Joshua Lopez, Bowser's nominee for 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".

2018: Officer shootings and body cam footage in the Metropolitan Police Department

From 2016 to 2018 there were 25 involved officer shootings. As of April 2019 only three instances of body cam footage had been released.

2018: Manipulation of School System by Chancellor Antwan Wilson

In 2018, Bowser's Schools chancellor Antwan Wilson manipulated the school system to transfer his daughter to a preferred school, leading to his resignation and prompting investigations by multiple federal and local agencies.

2018: Bowser Opposed Campaign Finance Legislation

In 2018, the D.C. Council passed campaign finance legislation that sought to remove the influence of large donors. Bowser was opposed to the act and said she would not provide financing for its implementation.

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

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, allegedly due to her enforcement of District regulations on government transparency.

April 2019: Limited release of body cam footage in officer shootings

As of April 2019, despite Bowser's support for body cameras for the Metropolitan Police Department, only three instances of body cam footage had been released out of 25 involved officer shootings from 2016 to 2018.

May 2019: Auditor Finds Funding Issues in Housing Production Trust Fund

In May 2019, the D.C. auditor discovered that the Housing Production Trust Fund had awarded funding to poorly rated proposals, some from developers who had contributed to the mayor's campaign.

2019: Bowser Administration Took Control of Art Collection

In 2019, Bowser's administration took control of the art collection owned by the D.C. Commission on the Arts and Humanities, leading to a power struggle and staff lockouts.

2019: MPD handcuffs 9 and 10 year old children

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

June 2020: Data Removed from Website to Avoid Displaying Failure to Meet Metric

In June 2020, Bowser's administration removed data from the government's website to avoid displaying how it had failed to meet a key metric in reopening the District.

November 2020: Bowser 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 in the state and a travel advisory discouraging visits, leading to criticism.

April 2021: Confusion over Masking Instructions

In April 2021, Muriel Bowser's instructions on masking created confusion among business owners and the public, resulting in a mayoral order being removed.

July 2021: Bowser Found Unmasked at Indoor Wedding

In July 2021, on the day her reinstated indoor mask mandate took effect, Bowser was found to have officiated an indoor wedding while unmasked, generating controversy.

October 2021: Resignation of D.C. Housing Authority Chair Neil Albert

In October 2021, Neil Albert, the chair of the D.C. Housing Authority, resigned after being found to have channeled contracts to a romantic partner. Bowser had previously supported Albert and commented on the FBI raid of his home, stating she holds employees to high standards. His replacement, Dionne Bussey-Reeder, had unpaid income taxes, violating DCHA bylaws.

2021: "CUBA LIBRE" painted in front of Cuban embassy

2021: Tweet about Carjackings Sparks Controversy

In 2021, after a Pakistani Uber Eats driver was murdered during a carjacking, Muriel Bowser tweeted about carjackings being a crime of opportunity. This tweet led to backlash and accusations of racial bias due to the impression that the victim was responsible for his own death, and the tweet was later deleted without an apology or immediate condolences to the family.

2021: Forensic Crime Lab Loses Accreditation

In 2021, the district's forensic crime lab lost its accreditation following a probe that revealed concealed conflicting findings and examiners were pressured to change results. This led to a criminal investigation and the resignation of the lab's head, Jenifer Smith. Bowser honored Smith shortly after.