DC councilman recommended for expulsion
A Washington, D.C. committee investigating bribery allegations against City Councilmember Trayon White Sr. has recommended that the lawmaker be expelled for allegedly accepting over $150,000 in bribes. The committee voted unanimously to recommend White’s expulsion after finding “substantial evidence” that he violated the D.C. Code of Conduct while in office.
D.C. Council Chairman Phil Mendelson released a statement regarding the committee’s decision, stating, “Let’s cut through the legal jargon. Trayon White is accused of taking bribes. The prosecutors have established probable cause, our own independent investigation found substantial evidence that he took bribes, and public servants are prohibited from taking bribes. This is quintessential corruption. There is only one remedy: to remove the corruption from our body.”
White was arrested over the summer on a federal bribery charge for allegedly accepting bribes from an associate in exchange for extending violence interruption contracts. The ad hoc committee of the council commissioned an independent investigation by the law firm Latham and Watkins LLP, which found substantial evidence that White violated Council Rules and the Code of Official Conduct.
The investigators discovered that White accepted cash from business owners in exchange for agreeing to meet with and influence government officials who approve their contracts. Additionally, White had a ledger detailing the profits he intended to earn, including a kickback of 3% of the grants he helped renew.
White spoke before the meeting on Monday, stating, “I do want to say that there has been no clear evidence of nobody in all these interviews saying that I tried to grab them. And so, I’m confident to that.” The council will hold a proceeding on the expulsion within 45 days, during which White will have the opportunity to defend himself.
If expelled, White faces up to 15 years in prison for the federal bribery charge. His trial is scheduled to begin in January 2026. Stay tuned for updates on this developing story.
