Washington, D.C., councilman Trayon White pleaded not guilty to a bribery charge on Thursday. White was arrested last month for allegedly agreeing to accept $156,000 in cash this summer in exchange for pressuring two city agencies to extend contracts meant to fight crime in the District.
White, who represents a southeastern section of D.C., appeared in federal court for a 15-minute arraignment, during which his lawyer entered the not-guilty plea. The allegations center on the alleged bribery scheme.
During the hearing, assistant U.S. attorney Rebecca Ross said White rejected a plea deal offered by the government on August 22. Ross asked the judge for a trial date in April, a request that the judge declined to give the defense time to review evidence.
The defense and prosecution were ordered to return to court on November 13, eight days after the election. Seeking a third term this fall, White said through his campaign he will continue his reelection bid for the Ward 8 seat.
“While these charges are serious, I want to assure the people of Ward 8 that my commitment to our community remains unwavering,” White wrote. “We have unfinished business to attend to, and it is essential that we continue to work together to advance the initiatives that matter most to our residents.”
“I need your support now more than ever,” he added. “Together, we can navigate through this difficult time and ensure that our voices are heard.”
White had until Thursday to withdraw his name from the ballot. If convicted, he will be disqualified from serving.
The embattled Democrat is accused of pressuring government employees working for the D.C. Department of Youth and Rehabilitation Services and the Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement to renew public-safety contracts valued at $5.2 million. The $156,000 bribery sum he allegedly sought is three percent of the total contract value. The contracts were connected to the city’s violence-intervention efforts.
The FBI arrested White on August 18 at his luxury apartment in Navy Yard, which the U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia announced a day later. He was formally indicted last week.
The indictment says White accepted roughly $35,000 in four cash payments from an FBI informant this summer, as recently as August 9. The councilman was promised further kickbacks.
During one of the recorded meetings, White expressed interest in expanding their horizons beyond the public-safety contracts. “I’ve got other shit we can be doing too,” White said, telling the informant they could potentially partner on contracts for mental-health services. “That shit ain’t going nowhere, bro . . . that shit a cash cow,” White added.
The unnamed informant, who agreed to work for the FBI in the case as part of a plea deal, told authorities he bribed White with $20,000 in 2020 for help resolving a contract dispute, according to the indictment. White then “agreed to use his public position to pressure high ranking District of Columbia Government officials to resolve the dispute” to benefit the associate, the document states.
Since the scandal came to light, the D.C. Council has been investigating the bribery allegations itself, separate from the FBI’s investigation. The legislative body is working on publishing a report on its findings by December 16 and will vote on whether White will be punished soon after. He could potentially be expelled from office, a decision that requires a supermajority of the council’s 13 members.
White is also destined to lose his chairmanship of the council’s Committee on Recreation, Libraries, and Youth Affairs, which oversees the Department of Youth and Rehabilitation Services. D.C. Council chairman Phil Mendelson, a Democrat, said he would seek to strip White of that position.
Meanwhile, at his Thursday court hearing, White was greeted by supporters who stood by him. “Show me somebody else that care about Ward 8!” one supporter shouted. “Nobody!” another responded.