Questions grow about DC councilman Trayon White's residency, other financial reporting following arrest
Arrest of DC councilmember Trayon White leads to questions about where he lives
Many questions have been raised in the 48 hours since Ward 8 D.C. Councilmember Trayon White was arrested on a bribery charge. Among those are where does he live? White was arrested at a home in Navy Yard, which is in Ward 6. Councilmembers are required to live in the ward they represent.
WASHINGTON - FOX 5 is continuing to investigate the circumstances surrounding the arrest of D.C. Councilmember Trayon White.
White faces one federal bribery charge after he allegedly accepted cash payments to try and get contracts extended for companies that provide violence interruption services in the District.
The District gives grants to companies or programs across all eight wards focused on the work of stopping violence.
FOX 5 is told there are typically performance benchmarks and reporting requirements ensuring where taxpayer money is going and how effective these programs are but White’s misconduct has led to questions about the enforcement of these safeguards.
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According to court documents, the owner of a violence interrupter business wanted contracts extended and offered White cash to make that happen. That business owner was an FBI informant and provided information to the agency that White had agreed to accept $156,000 to pressure the Council into extending the contracts.
The D.C. Attorney General and Mayor’s Office have separate violence interrupter programs. We’re told the AG’s office programs have to submit monthly reports detailing where the money is spent and what the programs are doing but it’s not clear if all of those given a grant by the mayor’s office have the same requirement.
There was already some scrutiny about where the funds for some community programs were going months before any allegations against White.
Jay Brown, a D.C. community activist who often appears in front of council to talk about quality of life issues brought it up in an April hearing.
"There are some wonderful people that work in these organizations and these violence interrupter programs, men and women but I want to save them from themselves. If we don’t address the elephant in the room and talk about the mismanagement of funds and the lack of accountability of money invested in these programs, the whole system will fail," Brown said in the meeting four months ago. Brown told Fox 5 Tuesday that he had no knowledge of the allegations against White when he said this.
FOX 5 did ask for comment from the Mayor’s Office on reporting requirements for business owners given grants through their office. As of now have not heard back.
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In a statement Tuesday, Public Safety Committee Chair Brooke Pinto says she wants answers.
"I will be holding rigorous public hearings this fall to evaluate the potential reach of these allegations and ensure the efficacy of, and restore public trust in, our violence intervention efforts," Pinto said.
Another question White faces in the midst of his court case is about where he is living.
FOX 5 received new video of White’s arrest Tuesday. In it, FBI agents are seen swarming a luxury apartment in Navy Yard, which is in Ward 6. White represents Ward 8 and the Council requires members who represent a specific ward live there.
There is no address listed for White in this case, even in the search warrant. However, pictures included in the indictment where White allegedly received these payments appear to match the location of the arrest.
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The indictment itself also describes a June meeting where a confidential informant and White met in the informant’s car, which was parked outside the apartment building where White was living in Washington D.C.
FOX 5 is told that line was the basis for Council Chair Phil Mendelson noting that where White lives will be part of the council inquiry where council will establish a committee to assess the situation, evidence of wrongdoing to the extent it’s available and "the questions about residency."
We asked his staff directly where Trayon White lives and they declined to comment.
As for what’s next for council, there’s unanimous support to create what will be at least a three-person committee to review what’s going on and make recommendations that could recommend an expulsion, reprimand or censure.
We’re expecting to learn more about that committee in the coming days.