FBI Arrests D.C. Councilmember Trayon White on Bribery Charges

Washington, D.C. Councilmember Trayon White Sr. was taken into custody on Sunday 18th, 2025, by the FBI following allegations of corrupt behavior. The U.S. Department of Justice revealed that White, who represents Ward 8, is facing a serious accusation of bribery. The criminal complaint, as reported by Fox News, stated that White, as the chair of the Council’s Committee on Recreation, Libraries and Youth Affairs, abused his position for financial gain.

The Bribery Allegations

According to the DOJ's press release, White is alleged to have illicitly agreed to receive a staggering sum of $156,000 in cash payments, commencing in June 2024. It is claimed that this money was in exchange for leveraging his influence as a D.C. councilmember to exert pressure on government employees at the Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement (ONSE) and the D.C. Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services (DYRS) to prolong several D.C. contracts. These contracts, with a total value of $5.2 million, were intended for the provision of violence intervention services by two different companies.

Incriminating Evidence

The complaint further alleges that White's agreement to this corrupt arrangement with a confidential human source, who was the owner of the companies in question, was captured on video. The evidence reportedly shows the source making four separate cash payments to White, totaling $35,000, on various dates in June and July 2024. Additionally, the source demonstrated to White the document that detailed how White's three-percent cut was calculated based on the aforementioned contracts. Furthermore, a photo from court documents purportedly shows White placing an envelope containing a $10,000 payment into his jacket pocket, providing further incriminating evidence of the illicit dealings.