The federal bribery trial of Ward 8 Council member Trayon White is set to get underway this week in a case that has had ripple effects on the D.C. Council.
White faces one federal bribery count and has pleaded not guilty. Prosecutors accuse White of accepting $35,000 in bribes during the summer of 2024 in return for using his position as a D.C. council member to help a businessman keep or extend his contracts with the city. White maintains his innocence.
Jury selection is still underway in the case and is expected to continue Monday, with opening statements to follow once a jury is seated.
In court documents, prosecutors have said they plan to lay out their case over five days. Among the witnesses is the businessman who was identified as a confidential source for the FBI in the case.
Prosecutors plan to use recordings during which they claim White accepted cash in envelopes as part of the alleged scheme. Court documents say all four of the alleged 2024 cash payments were recorded while the confidential source was secretly cooperating with the FBI and White was unaware of that cooperation.
Prosecutors also allege White agreed to accept roughly $156,000 in kickbacks, representing a 3% cut of the government contracts. The prosecution plans to use text and WhatsApp messages while laying out its case against White.
The defense is expected to take aim at the FBI investigation and its use of a confidential source who, according to court documents, agreed to work with investigators as part of a plea deal in a separate case against him. The defense could also make an argument of entrapment, while arguing that even if White took the money, prosecutors still have to prove it was part of a corrupt agreement in which White agreed to use his official position in exchange for the money.
In a previous ruling, the judge said certain provisions of the D.C. Council’s Code of Conduct cannot be used by prosecutors to prove White violated an official duty as part of the federal bribery case.
White’s social media posts have also become an issue ahead of trial. In one video, White thanked supporters, encouraged them to attend his trial and urged D.C. residents not to ignore jury summonses, saying, “I think that we have to ensure to have a fair trial.”
In an emergency filing last week, prosecutors argued White was trying to influence the potential jury pool with his posts and characterized his comments as an attempt to tamper with the jury pool. They’ve asked the judge to order White to stop publicly commenting on jury selection and the case.
White’s attorneys have pushed back, arguing his comments were lawful and reflected his desire for a fair and representative jury.
Once a jury is seated, the arguments will begin. Neither side has indicated it plans to introduce expert witnesses. The prosecution’s witness list includes an FBI special agent, the businessman White is accused of accepting bribes from and D.C. Deputy Mayor Lindsey Appiah. White’s defense has listed eight potential witnesses, including an FBI special agent and a D.C. Office of the Inspector General special agent.
If convicted, White faces up to 15 years in prison. A felony conviction would also cost him his Ward 8 Council seat and trigger another special election. D.C. law says a Council member convicted of a felony while in office no longer meets the qualifications to serve and must forfeit the position.
The D.C. Council unanimously voted to expel White in February 2025 following its own investigation into the allegations. That removal triggered a special election for the Ward 8 seat, which White ran in and won in July 2025, returning him to the Council.
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