DC councilman recommended for expulsion as he faces bribery charges
A Washington, D.C. committee tasked with investigating bribery allegations against City Councilmember Trayon White Sr. voted on Monday to recommend the lawmaker be expelled for allegedly accepting over $150,000 in bribes.
The committee voted unanimously to recommend White be expelled, after reviewing a report that found “substantial evidence” that the councilman violated the D.C. Code of Conduct while in office.
Following the vote, D.C. Council Chairman Phil Mendelson released a statement about the committee’s decision.
“Let’s cut through the legal jargon. Trayon White is accused of taking bribes,” Mendelson said. “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.
DC Ward 8 Councilmember Trayon White, Sr. speaks at a ribbon cutting ceremony for The Asberry, the first on-site building constructed at Barry FarmHillsdale in Washington, DC on November 21, 2024. (Craig Hudson for The Washington Post via Getty Images)
“There is only one remedy: to remove the corruption from our body,” the councilman later added. “This incident has damaged the public trust necessary for government to function well. Anything less than expulsion will not rectify the situation.”
Over the summer, White was arrested on a federal bribery charge after being accused of accepting over $150,000 from an associate in exchange for extending violence interruption contracts.
In response to the allegations, the ad hoc committee of the council commissioned an independent investigation, which was conducted by the law firm Latham and Watkins LLP.
DC COUNCILMAN STUFFED POCKETS WITH ENVELOPES OF CASH IN ALLEGED BRIBERY SCHEME, FEDS ALLEGE
D.C. Councilman Trayon White Sr. departs the E. Barrett Prettyman Federal Courthouse on September 12, 2024 in Washington, D.C. (Michael A. McCoy for The Washington Post via Getty Images)
The report was provided to the council last week, and it included an in-depth analysis along with 29 supporting exhibits, FOX 5 in DC reported.
After reviewing documents, interviews, emails and texts, investigators found “substantial evidence that Councilmember White violated Council Rules and several provisions of the Code of Official Conduct.”
The investigators specifically said White accepted cash from business owners in exchange for agreeing to meet with and influence government officials who approve their contracts, the station reported.
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Photo of Trayon White Sr. from court documents allegedly shows him putting an envelope containing the $10,000 payment into his jacket pocket. (U.S. Department of Justice)
The report also claimed White had a ledger detailing the profits he intended to earn, including a kickback of 3% of the grants he helped renew.
Mendelson and White did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment on the matter.
The station reported that White spoke before the meeting on Monday, saying, “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 needed a five-sixths vote to adopt a resolution of expulsion, which is the most severe punishment available. A proceeding on the expulsion is to be held within 45 days, during which time White will be able to defend himself.
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White’s federal bribery charge trial is on the calendar to begin in January 2026. He faces up to 15 years in prison if convicted.
Fox News Digital’s Greg Norman contributed to this report.
