Democrat Trayon White Sr., a Washington, D.C. councilman who represents Ward 8, was arrested Sunday by the FBI on federal bribery charges.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia announced the arrest on Monday, alleging that White agreed to accept over $150,000 in bribes in exchange for using his elected position to influence city contracts.
According to the criminal complaint, White, 40, allegedly agreed to accept $156,000 in cash payments for pressuring government employees to extend contracts worth $5.2 million to two companies providing violence intervention services in D.C.
The amount represented a 3% cut of the total contract value.
“Because the investigation into the alleged bribery scheme involved contracts that could soon be awarded and other potential official acts that could be taken, our Office took swift steps to address the alleged crimes we were investigating,” U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves said about the arrest.
The affidavit filed with the complaint alleges that White, as Chair of the Council’s Committee on Recreation, Libraries and Youth Affairs, used his position to influence employees at the Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement (ONSE) and the Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services (DYRS).
Investigators claim that an unnamed company owner, who has entered into a plea agreement and is cooperating with the investigation, secretly recorded conversations with White between June and August 2024.
The charging document includes images allegedly showing White accepting envelopes of cash.
The complaint details four separate occasions — June 26, July 17, July 25, and August 9, 2024 — when White allegedly received cash payments totaling $35,000. In one recorded conversation on July 17, White reportedly agreed to a 3% cut of the company’s contracts and stated he could “start making some s*** happen” after receiving $5,000.
White made his first court appearance on Monday and was released from custody.
He is due back in court on September 19. When leaving the courthouse, White and his attorney declined to comment on the charges.
This is not the first time White has faced controversy. In 2018, he made headlines for endorsing antisemitic conspiracy theories, for which he later apologized to the Jewish community.
White, a Washington native, has served on the Democrat-dominated D.C. Council since 2017. He represents a predominantly Black ward where the poverty rate is nearly twice as high as the overall district.
In 2022, he ran an unsuccessful mayoral campaign and is currently seeking re-election in November.
The investigation is ongoing, led by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, the FBI Washington Field Office, the D.C. Office of the Inspector General, and the IRS Criminal Investigation Washington Field Office.