District of Columbia Councilmember Trayon White has been charged with bribery, according to an indictment filed in US District Court Monday. White, who represents Ward 8 in the District, was arrested by the FBI Sunday evening.
The indictment claims that White accepted bribes from a confidential informant who agreed to cooperate with law enforcement after pleading guilty to taking out fraudulent loans through the Covid-era Paycheck Protection Program. White, the government alleges, accepted a series of bribes with the understanding that he would help the informant’s company, which had already been terminated by the city for falsifying background checks it agreed to perform as part of a contract.
The indictment alleges that White accepted a $20,000 bribe in 2020 and accepted travel to the Dominican Republic and to Las Vegas from the company to help resolve the issue but was unsuccessful. This June, the government alleges, White accepted around $35,000 in cash and agreed he would accept around $156,000 to pressure employees at DC’s Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement and Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services to extend the informant’s companies’ contracts with the city.
White chairs the District’s Committee on Recreation, Libraries and Youth Affairs, which oversees DYRS. White, the government alleges, agreed to a 3 percent kickback on any contract the informant’s company was able to secure. He also, the indictment says, asked for cash up front.
White, the government alleges, accepted $15,000 on June 24, $5,000 on July 17, $10,000 on July 25, and $5,000 on August 9. The informant surreptitiously recorded the conversations and photographed White taking bribes, the government alleges. The indictment includes what the government alleges are photographs of White accepting bribes and transcripts of their conversations, as well as screenshots of WhatsApp chats between White and the informant.
White has had a sometimes unusual political career. He made national headlines in 2018 for asserting that Jewish financiers caused a snowfall. (He apologized.) The following year he posted conspiracy theories about the death of rapper Nipsey Hussle. He promoted a protest where Latino workers were harassed (he apologized). This year, he appeared at another protest that featured homophobic signs. He announced a run for mayor in 2021 in a comment on the Washingtonian Problems Instagram account. The campaign was not successful, and Washington City Paper reported in February that he had incurred nearly $80,000 in debts and fines related to campaign funds.
White’s attorney has not yet responded to a request for comment. You can read the indictment below.
Trayon White Indictment by Washingtonian Magazine on Scribd
This story has been updated.
Andrew Beaujon joined Washingtonian in late 2014. He was previously with the Poynter Institute, TBD.com, and Washington City Paper. He lives in Del Ray.
