Democrat DC Councilmember Caught Up in Pay-to-Play Bribery Scheme

Authorities made the arrest following a series of meetings surreptitiously recorded by an informant wherein White accepted envelopes full of cash.

A federal grand jury has so far indicted Councilmember Trayon White on one count of bribery for agreeing to receive $156,000. Feds allege that he “received and accepted $35,000 in the form of four cash payments” to influence contracts in favor of two private companies.

Cash for Contracts

White used his position to push local employees at two government agencies, DC’s Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement and the Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services to renew city contracts for two companies operated by the same person, according to allegations in White’s arrest affidavit.

The contracts provided violence intervention services in Wards 1, 4, and 5 and were worth $5.2 million collectively. White’s cut was 3% of the contract price, according to allegations in the affidavit. Among other cash payments (detailed below), he received payments of $35,000 on four separate dates (June 26, July 17, July 25 and Aug. 9).

White, 40, represents Ward 8 and also heads the Council’s Committee on Recreation, Libraries and Youth Affairs, which oversees several agencies, including the Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services. White has been in office since 2017 and is currently serving out his second term. He’s running for his third term and won his primary with an overwhelming majority. Despite the arrest and allegations, White has yet to step down ahead of the election in November.

Suspicious Timing?

There was some question over the timing of the arrest, with DC Council Chairman Phil Mendelson initially saying it was “shocking” that it happened on a Sunday afternoon. Authorities said they had a compelling reason to believe lucrative contracts were about to be awarded as a result of White’s lobbying efforts.

“Because the investigation into the alleged bribery scheme involved contracts that could soon be awarded and other potential official acts that could be taken, our Office took swift steps to address the alleged crimes we were investigating,” said U.S. Attorney for DC Matthew M. Graves.

The affidavit did not contain all the information and facts of the case known to law enforcement but was “submitted for the limited purpose of establishing probable cause to support the issuance of a criminal complaint and an arrest warrant,” according to the lead agent in the press release.

The affidavit claims that authorities had caught the informant attempting to defraud the Paycheck Protection Program, a federal COVID-19 relief program. In cooperating with law enforcement as part of a plea deal, the source disclosed what authorities in the affidavit called a “corrupt relationship” with White. Feds initiated an investigation into White.

Bribes to Intercede on Behalf of Contracting Companies

One of the contracting companies White allegedly lobbied for in the bribery scheme entered into a multi-year contract with the DC’s Department of Human Services in 2016– worth over $6 million– to provide case management services for the homeless. In January 2019, the Department of Human Services found that contracting company falsified background check documents, so they terminated the contract in February 2019.

That August, the company demanded $4 million from DC, claiming the contract termination was improper, later reducing their demand to $1.6 million. A court denied the claim, and an appeal was later dismissed in May 2020. In 2020, feds allege White accepted a $20,000 bribe from the contracting company in exchange for attempting to influence DC. officials to resolve the contract dispute, although he was unsuccessful.

Later that summer, an informant recorded conversations in which White referenced his failed attempt to pressure a government employee to resolve the contract issue. In the recording, White said, “I have to work and put everything in play. I am just trying to make sure… because… last time we was trying to do something like this… that shit messed up my relationship… I ain’t gonna lie because we was trying to get (a government employee) to do something and he agreed to do it and he just never responded… and he just disappeared and stopped answering, even to this day.”

That statement confirmed White’s involvement in the bribery scheme, say feds.

“Undisclosed Kickbacks and Cash Payments”

In June, White agreed to accept the $156,000 in “undisclosed kickbacks and cash payments” in exchange for using his position to keep influencing contract renewals. During one recorded transaction, while accepting the first payment of $15,000, White told an informant, “I don’t wanna feel like you gotta gimme something to get something. We better than that.” But he pocketed the cash anyway.

In recorded conversations, White also discussed healthcare and housing contracts, which White estimated to be between $15-$20 million, saying, “That shit ain’t going nowhere, bro…that shit a cash cow.”

White’s team acknowledged the seriousness of this matter in a statement. “We want to assure Ward 8 residents and stakeholders that our office remains fully operational and steadfast in our commitment to serving the public,” a spokesperson said.

Council Meeting to Determine White’s Fate

On Sept. 17, the rest of city council will meet to decide White’s fate, according to an X post by Council Chairman Phil Mendelson. Whether or not White is expelled from the council, he will be removed from his committee assignments in September and has until Sept. 12 to decide if he will drop out of the next race.

Magistrate Judge G. Michael Harvey has set a hearing for September 19. If convicted of the crime, White could serve up to 15 years in prison, according to U.S. law.