DC Councilmember Trayon White Sr. was arrested by FBI officers on Sunday on federal bribery charges, with allegations that he accepted $156,000 in cash payments, according to an announcement by the Justice Department on Monday.
The criminal complaint claims that White agreed to receive the money in exchange for leveraging his office to pressure government employees at the Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement and the Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services (DYRS) to maintain certain government contracts.
White made a court appearance on Monday but did not enter a plea. He was released from custody and is scheduled to return to court on September 19, as reported by NBC News. White chairs the city council’s committee on Recreation, Libraries, and Youth Affairs, overseeing several responsibilities, including the city’s Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services.
DC City Council chairman Phil Mendelson’s office telling me “Both public trust and integrity in elected officials is critically important. We’re trying to gather the facts at this time.”
When I asked about the arrest FBI declined to comment.
— Beatrice Peterson (@MissBeaE on all platforms) (@MissBeaE) August 18, 2024
The contracts involved in the alleged bribery are valued at $5.2 million and were