D.C. Mayor Adrian M. Fenty accepted more than $36,000 from foreign governments to pay for his trips to China and the United Arab Emirates, according to a memo released late Friday by city attorney general Peter J. Nickles.
Chinese officials paid $11,300 for hotels, food, travel and incidentals for the mayor's time in Beijing and Shanghai for the Summer Olympics in August, Nickles said in the memo.
And last month, the UAE government spent $25,000 for Fenty's one-week trip to Dubai.
While no D.C. taxpayer money was used for the trips, and Fenty paid for his wife and twin sons to accompany him, some have called the mayor's delayed disclosure of the donations into question, like City Paper's Loose Lips.
And The Washington Post wondered aloud about this allegedly rare example of accepting money from foreign governments, while pointing out Fenty's campaign trail criticism of former DC Mayor Anthony A. Williams' frequent travel in the U.S. and abroad.
The acceptance of the donations, however, "were found by the Office of the Attorney General to be legally sufficient and in compliance with applicable law," according to Nickles.
Both trips will be reported to the Office of Partnerships and Grants by month's end.
