Bribery trial begins for D.C. Council member Trayon White
White faces federal charges for allegedly accepting cash in exchange for influencing city contract extensions
Quick Look
- The bribery trial of D.C.
- Council member Trayon White begins this week in Washington.
- White is accused of accepting over $150,000 in bribes to influence city contracts.
AI-generated summary
Why It Matters
White was previously ousted from the D.C. Council following his arrest in 2024 but was re-elected to his Ward 8 seat in a special election.
WASHINGTON -- A bribery trial starts this week for a Washington, D.C., Council member accused of accepting cash from an associate in exchange for using his elected position to help extend city contracts for the associate's businesses.
A federal jury in the nation's capital was scheduled to hear attorneys' opening statements on Tuesday for Trayon White's trial on one count of bribery. White has pleaded not guilty to the charge and denies breaking the law.
White was arrested in 2024 on a charge that he accepted over $150,000 in bribes in exchange for pressuring D.C. employees to extend city contracts for violence intervention services. Authorities say they secretly recorded conversations between White and an FBI informant who gave White $35,000 in cash on four occasions.
Other D.C. Council members voted unanimously to oust White from the council after his arrest. But he won a special election last year to retake the Ward 8 council seat vacated by his expulsion.
What to Watch
AI outlook — possibilities, not facts
The jury will hear opening statements regarding the bribery charge.
Very likely · Within days
Open Questions
- Will the jury find White guilty of the bribery charge?
- What evidence will the prosecution present from the recorded conversations?
