D.C. Council member Trayon White was arrested Sunday on a federal bribery charge after prosecutors say he accepted tens of thousands of dollars in cash in exchange for pressuring government officials to extend contracts dedicated to violence prevention and youth services.
Documents filed in federal court on Monday describe White allegedly accepting envelopes full of cash as he's caught on a hidden camera.
White, who represents Ward 8, is accused of agreeing to accept $156,000 in exchange for using his position to pressure employees of the D.C. Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement (ONSE) and the D.C. Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services (DYRS) to extend several contracts, prosecutors said. He’s chair of a D.C. Council committee that oversees several agencies, including DYRS.
White accepted cash payments of $35,000 on four occasions, prosecutors say.
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White's office released a statement Monday night reading in part, "We recognize the seriousness of this matter. We want to assure Ward 8 residents and stakeholders that our office remains fully operational and steadfast in our commitment to serving the public."
White appeared in a packed federal courtroom on Monday afternoon. He did not enter a plea at his initial appearance. He was largely silent during the proceedings but said he understood the bribery charge against him carries a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison. He clasped his hands in prayer and thumped his chest as he acknowledged supporters.
Under the conditions of his release, White had to surrender his passport and any guns. He must notify pretrial services if he plans to travel outside the D.C. area.
White had no comment as News4 video captured the moment he left the courthouse and was ushered into a car.
“Ward 8! Ward 8! Ward 8!” supporters chanted as White was driven away.
White’s lawyer also declined to comment on the case. White is due back in court on Sept. 19.
No information was immediately released on any other D.C. government employees accused of wrongdoing in connection to White’s alleged scheme.
Here’s what federal prosecutors say Trayon White did
Federal prosecutors say White agreed starting in June to accept $156,000 in bribes in exchange for using his position to pressure government employees to extend violence intervention contracts worth $5.2 million.
He’s accused of accepting $35,000 in cash this summer. Here’s how the FBI breaks it down:
- June 26: $15,000 cash received
- July 17: $5,000 cash received
- July 25: $10,000 cash received
- Aug. 9: $5,000 cash received
Images included in court documents show what prosecutors say is White receiving envelopes stuffed with cash.
An FBI informant who operated businesses that contracted with the D.C. government agreed to cooperate with authorities as part of an agreement to plead guilty to bribery and bank fraud charges. Several conversations between White and the informant were recorded in a parked car wired for video and audio, including outside White’s home, prosecutors say.
At one meeting, White and the informant discussed contracts the informant had with ONSE. The informant asked White if the contracts would be renewed and said he had $15,000 cash.
Initially, White asked, “What you need me to do, man? I don’t, I don’t wanna feel like you gotta gimme something to get something. We better than that.”
Then he tucked the envelope with the cash into his jacket pocket, prosecutors say.
In one instance, prosecutors say the informant gave White $5,000 cash in exchange for reaching out to two government employees.
“Once you and I lock eyes and gets to an understanding, I gets to work. I can start making some s--- happen,” White allegedly said.
Before another meeting, White allegedly instructed the informant to “bring 10.” The informant understood the instruction to mean he should bring $10,000 cash.
Prosecutors say White also accepted gifts including travel to the Dominican Republic and Las Vegas.
White and the informant talked about potential future contracts related to mental health services and housing. About contracts linked to mental health, White allegedly said, “That s--- ain’t going nowhere, bro. That s---‘s a cash cow.”
Federal agents arrested Trayon White in Navy Yard on Sunday
White was arrested Sunday near his home in the Navy Yard area of Southeast D.C., as News4 was first to report.
News4 video shows agents outside White's apartment in Ward 6. Agents appeared to try to access White’s car, a silver Tesla with D.C. Council license plates.
ANC Commissioner Erica Green, who represents a portion of Ward 8, spoke in support of White at a virtual news conference she held Monday morning, before information on the bribery charge was released. She said she was frustrated that residents and fellow elected officials weren’t given any information on the reason for White's arrest.
“The public has a right to know. We’re concerned about our council member,” she said.
‘Very troubling’: Here’s what Mayor Bowser, DC Council chair said about the allegations
Mayor Muriel Bowser called the allegations against White “very troubling.”
“I’m sure that constituents across the city, but especially in Ward 8 are very disappointed. People need representation. They need people that go down to the Wilson Building and put them first and fight for them, and I know that I speak for them in my disappointment about it,” she said.
Bowser spoke about the importance of D.C. violence prevention programs.
“If we are talking about offices that are focused on keeping people out of harm’s way, preventing violence, especially with our focus on alternatives to law enforcement strategies, which we’re very committed to, this also puts those very effective strategies at risk,” she said. “So, individual decisions and people will make some good ones, some terrible ones. But they have to be held accountable.”
D.C. Council Chairman Phil Mendelson said he’s forming a committee to look into the allegations, as well as questions about White’s residency, and then move on any recommendations.
“The federal charges against Councilmember Trayon White are deeply disturbing. Notwithstanding the principle that a person is innocent until proven guilty, the allegations, together with the government’s affidavit, are a gut punch to the public trust in the Council,” he said in a statement.
Mendelson said he moved to remove White from the council’s Committee on Recreation, Libraries and Youth Affairs.
Trayon White made headlines for antisemitic conspiracy theory
White, 40, has represented Ward 8 since 2017. The former community activist has participated in and led several efforts to steer young people away from violence. He often responds to crime scenes and attends vigils for gun violence victims.
In 2018, White posted a video to his official Facebook page promoting an antisemitic conspiracy theory. He said the Rothchild family controlled the weather. He later apologized and took the video down.
White ran for mayor and won about 9% of the vote in the 2022 Democratic primary, losing to Bowser.
In an interview with News4 last year, White suggested having members of the National Guard help respond to gun violence in D.C.
In June, White won the Democratic primary for what would be his third term.
Could Trayon White be kicked off the DC Council? Here’s how it works
White chairs one D.C. Council committee and sits on three others. He could take a leave of absence and recuse himself from votes until the matter is resolved. If he wants to remain an active council member, the council could take action and vote him off his committees and chairmanship.
Another possibility is the council could vote to expel him and kick him off the council, but they would likely need more than just the charge against him.
The last time the council came close to expelling a council member was with Jack Evans, who was never charged, but the council had conducted an independent investigation that found he violated ethics rules.
Trayon White is among several DC elected leaders to have run-ins with the law
A number of D.C. leaders have faced allegations and investigations in recent memory.
Most recently, council member Jack Evans resigned during an ethics investigation in 2020, days before the council was set to vote to expel him.
In 2013, Michael Brown was charged with taking a $55,000 bribe in a coffee mug. He lost his reelection bid prior to being charged.
Kwame Brown, who was chair of the council in 2012, pleaded guilty to bank fraud and campaign finance violations. He resigned almost immediately after being charged.
Harry Thomas Jr. was sentenced to more than three years in prison in 2012. He resigned after being charged.
Then-Mayor Vincent Gray was the focus on a federal investigation amid a reelection bid in 2010. He lost the election to Bowser.
What does Trayon White’s arrest mean for the Nov. 5 election?
It’s unlikely that White will go to trial before Election Day on Nov. 5. He could enter a plea before then. In the election, he faces a Republican challenger.
It’s too late for anyone to get on the ballot as an Independent. They would have to run as a write-in. Former Mayor Tony Williams was able to win as a write-in candidate.
Under District law, officeholders convicted of a felony can continue to serve until they go to prison.
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NBC News' Daniel Barnes contributed to this story.
Stay with NBC Washington for more details on this developing story.
