DC councilman accused of taking $156K in bribes, pleads not guilty
WASHINGTON - D.C. Councilmember Trayon White pleaded not guilty in federal court Thursday afternoon to charges of bribery.
White, who represents Ward 8, faces allegations of accepting $156,000 in bribes in exchange for influencing D.C. agencies to extend violence intervention contracts to an associate — who, unbeknownst to White, was an FBI informant.
White’s arraignment took place at the U.S. District Courthouse just after 12:30 p.m.
Although White did not speak during the proceedings, his defense attorney, Frederick Cook, entered the not-guilty plea on his behalf.
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The bribery charges stem from White allegedly using his position to secure contracts for his associate, aimed at resolving disputes before they escalated into violence. The council member has not publicly responded to the corruption allegations.
Outside the courtroom, Cook was tight-lipped when asked by reporters about the scope of evidence the defense would need to review.
"I can't talk about that," Cook said when pressed on the volume of discovery material involved in the case.
White has not commented on the charges and left the courthouse without answering questions from reporters. His case will continue in November.