Trayon White Trial: Mistrial declared in federal bribery case; US Attorney Pirro plans to retry
Mistrial declared in DC Councilman Trayon White's federal bribery case
A mistrial was declared in D.C. Councilman Trayon White's federal bribery case, with a retrial expected.
WASHINGTON - A federal judge has declared a mistrial in the federal bribery case against D.C. Council member Trayon White. White was accused of accepting cash payments in exchange for using his official position to help extend city contracts for an associate’s business.
White was arrested in 2024 on a charge that he accepted over $150,000 in bribes to pressure D.C. employees to extend government contracts for violence intervention services.
Authorities said they secretly recorded conversations between White and an FBI informant who provided White $35,000 in cash across four occasions.
Trayon White trial: Mistrial declared in federal bribery case; Pirro says they will retry
U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro said they will retry the case.
"We have video showing piles of cash being given to a D.C. councilmember as part of a $156,000 bribe," Pirro said in a statement. "Rest assured that we will retry this case and every corruption case to verdict."
Timing can be tricky for a new trial, but the government could request a new trial shortly. Part of the timing is up to the court calendar and the judge's availability.
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Legal Roundup: Trayon White Bribery Trial
FOX 5 DC's Maureen Umeh chats with Marlo Greer, a trial attorney, to discuss the latest with the Trayon White bribery trial.
Dig deeper:
Following his arrest, fellow D.C. Council members voted unanimously to oust White from office. However, White reclaimed the Ward 8 seat after winning a special election last year to fill the vacancy created by his dismissal.
Deliberations began last Wednesday morning, with jurors sent home Thursday after deliberating for more than 13 hours. On Friday morning, the jury informed the court they were hopelessly deadlocked, but the judge ordered them to continue deliberating.
The jury sent multiple notes about the intent that is required to convict White. The prosecution needed to show, beyond a reasonable doubt, that White had corrupt intent to use his position to pressure other officials to extend government contracts when he accepted cash payments.
The panel was dismissed around 5 p.m. Friday and instructed to return Monday morning, when the mistrial was ultimately declared.
RELATED: Jury hears evidence in DC Councilmember Trayon White’s federal bribery trial
Trayon White speaks out
What they're saying:
On Monday, White said he feels like he is redeemed.
"This has been a very sobering yet momentous occasion to me," White said. "Could have caused me to lose my mind and my freedom."
He said he plans to get back to work at the council where he has been stripped of certain responsibilities, including committee leadership and membership.
At Large Councilmember Elissa Silverman said in a statement that she will work with White to ensure that Ward 8 has proper representation on the council.
Ward 8 residents showed up for White throughout the trial, often packing the courtroom.
"He got a lot of support. He look out for everybody," said resident Slo-mo. "He gonna be okay, trust me. God got him."
"He does great for our community, so the mistrial was correct, thank you," another resident told FOX 5 DC.
"I'm for due process for sure, but you know it doesn't look good when somebody hands $35,000 in cash over to you, and they don't want something, so I think we deserve better than that," said Ward 8 resident Brad when asked how he felt about the mistrial.
FOX 5 reached out to D.C. Council Chairman Phil Mendelson's office to ask whether he anticipates a change in status for White, but we have not yet heard back.
WASHINGTON, US- SEPTEMBER 25: Washington, DC Ward 8 Council member Trayon White Sr. arrives to the E. Barrett Prettyman United States Court House in Washington, D.C. on September 25, 2026. White's trial was delayed after jury selection process too lo
The Source: Information in this article comes from the Associated Press and previous FOX 5 reporting.