(Photo by Robb Hill for The Washington Post via Getty Images)
Washington D.C. Council member Trayon White has all local eyes on him after the FBI arrested him on Sunday (August 18). The Ward 8 representative is facing accusations of taking tens of thousands in bribes and kickbacks, per The Washington Post.
Police cuffed Trayon White at his high-rise luxury apartment in Navy Yard, Southeast D.C. White spent a night in jail before police released him on Monday. He appeared before a judge beforehand at the U.S. District Court on bribery charges.
Judge G. Michael Harvey reportedly ordered Trayon to surrender his passport and turn in any firearms but ultimately released him while he awaits his trial.
He currently serves on the Committee on Recreation, Libraries, and Youth Affairs, overseeing decisions like the Dept. of Youth Rehabilitation Services and ONSE. The D.C. Department of Human Resources database reportedly lists White’s annual salary at $167,037.
In addition to being a current Washington D.C. Council member, White was favored to win a local election in November. Had he won, it would have marked his third term.
Now, the FBI is charging him with taking money in exchange for pressuring government employees to extend contracts aimed at helping at-risk youth and adults in the city. White reportedly used some of that money, which included cash-filled envelopes, to vacation in places like Las Vegas and the Dominican Republic.
Prosecutors say Trayon White accepted $156,000 in “kickbacks and cash payments” since June 2024, per an affidavit reviewed by The Washington Post. The exact transactions and contractors involved have yet to be disclosed. However, one company is described as “a community-based initiative to serve high-risk youths and adults throughout D.C. and Maryland” in the affidavit. The contract renewals were meant to be used for alleged violence intervention services in D.C.
Additionally, the outlet reports that the amount was Trayon’s payment to pressure decision-makers in the D.C. Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services and the Office of Neighborhood, Safety, and Engagement to extend contracts.
White’s arrest affidavit cites photo and text message evidence of the 40-year-old accepting bribes from an informant. One of the most recent transactions happened inside the informant’s car on August 9, 2024. On that day, Trayon accepted an envelope containing $5,000 inside, per TWP.
Before that, on July 17, he updated the informant on his effort to secure D.C. “grants” for the informant’s companies valued at $5.2 million. A different transaction with the information allegedly resulted in the exchange of $15,000. Moreover, Trayon White also allegedly agreed to accept a three percent kickback of the total contract value.
Overall, the affidavit adds that White accepted $35,000 total on June 26, July 17, and 25, and August 9.
Mayor Muriel E. Bowser told reporters on Monday (August 19) that the FBI’s discovery is “very disappointing.”
“I’m sure that constituents across the city, especially in Ward 8, are disappointed. People need representation,” said Mayor Bowser. “They need people that go down to the Wilson Building and put them first, fight for them, and I know I speak for them in my disappointment about it.”
In the affidavit, U.S. Attorney Graves explained why police detained White on Sunday.
They stated that the “bribery scheme involved contracts that could soon be awarded” and the risk of “other potential official acts.”
According to The Washington Post, if the D.C. council member is convicted on bribery charges, he faces up to 15 years in prison. He refused to give the press comment as he exited the courthouse on Monday. His next hearing is on September 19.
This is a developing story.
