D.C. Mayor's Taxpayer Funded Trip To Masters Golf Tournament Called An 'economic development visit’

Mayor Muriel Bowser attended the Masters Tournament in Augusta, Ga. over the weekend, and municipal money was used for travel expenses, according to a spokeswoman for the mayor.

According to the mayor’s schedule, sent to media outlets Saturday, “Mayor Bowser will travel to Augusta, Georgia, as part of a sports and economic development visit.”

In a phone call Monday afternoon, Bowser’s Communications Director Susana Castillo said the mayor attended the Masters, after she was invited by two people spearheading a new city task force, “to revitalize the Gallery Place and Chinatown neighborhood.”

Castillo said Bowser accepted an invite to attend the golf tournament by chairs of ‘Task Force to Shape Future of Gallery Place/Chinatown Neighborhood’ Jodie McLean and Deborah Ratner Salzberg.

When asked why the mayor needed to travel to Augusta — nearly 500 miles from D.C. as the crow flies — Castillo said “whether it’s here in the city or another city or another country,” the mayor is willing to advance administrative interests no matter the setting.

DC News Now asked Castillo how the mayor paid to visit Georgia Saturday, and she said city funds were used for flights but did not specify the cost and that we would have to file a Freedom of Information Act request to find an answer.

Former D.C. mayor and current Councilman Vincent Gray told DC News Now Tuesday that he sees “no controversy” with Mayor Bowser attending the Masters after our report was published…   Monday.

“As mayor, I frequently attended meetings and events to foster economic development, strengthen partnerships, and build rapport with people interested in investing in our city. I met with people in countless venues, be they overseas, in downtown DC conference rooms, or sometimes at high-profile gatherings. I see no controversy in travel that is intended to promote the District in furtherance of opportunity that benefits residents and local businesses,” Gray said in a statement.

Last November, the mayor’s office announced Bowser would travel to Dubai in the Middle East “as part of the US Conference of Mayors delegation for the 2023 United Nations Climate Change Conference.”