D.C. Councilmember Trayon White Sr. was arrested on Sunday on federal bribery charges, as confirmed by the Justice Department.
According to a criminal complaint, White allegedly agreed to accept $156,000 in cash payments beginning in June in exchange for using his position as a councilmember to persuade government officials at the Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement and the Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services to extend certain contracts in the district.
During his initial appearance in a crowded federal courtroom on Monday, White, 40, was released while awaiting further proceedings. He did not enter a plea and remained largely quiet, answering only a few questions from Magistrate Judge G. Michael Harvey. Dressed in a gray sweatshirt, black pants, and gray sneakers, White faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison if convicted.
Under the release conditions, White must surrender his passport and any firearms, notify pretrial services of travel outside the D.C. area, and seek court approval for any international travel. He is also prohibited from talking to witnesses about the case without legal counsel present, which presents a challenge since many witnesses are D.C. government employees he interacts with regularly.
As the chairman of the city council’s committee on Recreation, Libraries, and Youth Affairs, White oversees agencies that include the city’s Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services. The contracts that he allegedly tried to influence were worth $5.2 million, intended for two companies to provide violence intervention services in the district.
The payments totaling $156,000 constituted 3% of the total contract value, and the arrangement was reportedly captured on video, according to the complaint.
The investigation into White’s alleged bribery scheme is being conducted 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. U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Matthew Graves stated that swift actions were taken due to the potential for contracts to be awarded and other official acts related to the investigation.
White was taken into custody around 2 p.m. on Sunday, with a D.C. city council spokesperson noting they were unaware of any investigation prior to the arrest. The council did not respond immediately to requests for further comment on Monday, nor did a spokesperson for White.
Since 2017, White has represented D.C.’s Ward 8 and recently won the Democratic primary for a third term. His next court appearance is scheduled for September 19.