Last summer, Trayon White Sr., a Democratic member of the District of Columbia Council, was apprehended on allegations of accepting over $150,000 in bribes in return for leveraging his influence to benefit firms with city contracts. Although White’s bid for the mayoralty in 2022 was unsuccessful, he has continued to engage actively in local political affairs. Notwithstanding the ongoing legal proceedings against him, White secured reelection in November.
In August, the FBI took White, 40, into custody on a federal bribery charge. An affidavit from an FBI agent indicated that White consented to receive approximately $156,000 in kickbacks and cash payments in exchange for his efforts to persuade government agency personnel to extend contracts for two companies involved in violence intervention services.
Additionally, the affidavit accused White of accepting a $20,000 bribe to assist in resolving a contract dispute for one of the companies by exerting pressure on senior district officials. An informant for the FBI reportedly agreed to plead guilty to charges of fraud and bribery, asserting that he provided White with gifts, including trips to the Dominican Republic and Las Vegas.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia issued a statement regarding White’s arrest and the charges filed against him. The statement noted, “The complaint alleges that, beginning in June 2024, White corruptly agreed to accept $156,000 in cash payments in exchange for using his position as a D.C. Councilmember to pressure government employees at the Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement (ONSE) and DYRS to extend several D.C. contracts.”
It further elaborated, “The contracts in question were valued at $5.2 million and were awarded to two companies for providing violence intervention services in D.C. As alleged, the $156,000 that White agreed to accept in exchange for utilizing his official position to advocate for the renewal of those contracts for specific companies represented three percent of the total contract value.” The complaint also detailed White’s agreement with a confidential human source, who was the owner of the companies, including the payments made by the source.
In September, White entered a plea of not guilty to a federal bribery charge after reportedly declining a plea agreement proposed by prosecutors. A trial date was established last year, with proceedings scheduled to commence on January 12, 2026. Following a court hearing in November, White stated, “Today was a day we set our trial dates. I’m extremely comfortable with my attorneys. I have two sets of attorneys right now. I’m just taking it one day at a time.”
He further expressed, “I am entitled to due process like everyone else; I am a citizen of the United States of America. Here in D.C., we are concerned about the implications of President Trump potentially becoming president and what that could mean for our city. Although I am a Democrat, I hold no animosity towards the incoming President Trump. However, I would like to emphasize that, as a citizen, I expect the Council to extend the same justice to me and the residents of Ward 8 that we expect from the federal government, which is the voice of the people. Last week, 20,000 individuals voted for me to serve as their Councilmember for Ward 8. Therefore, we are entitled to have our rights acknowledged as well. We intend to contest the government in court and navigate through the legal process.”
