WASHINGTON – D.C. Councilmember Trayon White Sr., who represents Ward 8, was arrested yesterday on charges of bribery, according to a criminal complaint filed against him. White, 40, serves as Chair of the Council’s Committee on Recreation, Libraries, and Youth Affairs, a role in which he oversees several city agencies, including the Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services (DYRS).
The complaint accuses White of agreeing to accept $156,000 in cash payments in exchange for using his influence to pressure government employees at the Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement (ONSE) and DYRS. These pressures were allegedly applied to secure the extension of contracts valued at $5.2 million for two companies providing Violence Intervention services in Washington, D.C. The $156,000 White agreed to accept was reportedly three percent of the total contract value.
According to the complaint, White’s agreement with a confidential human source, who was the owner of the companies involved, was documented on video. The source allegedly made four separate cash payments to White totaling $35,000 between June and August 2024. The complaint also mentions that the source presented White with a document outlining how his three-percent cut was calculated.
The arrest and charges were announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, FBI Special Agent in Charge David J. Scott of the Washington Field Office Criminal and Cyber Division, D.C. Inspector General Daniel Lucas, and Executive Special Agent in Charge Kareem A. Carter of the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) Washington, D.C. Field Office.
“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 Graves.
