Washington, D.C
DC Council expected to remove Trayon White's committee chairmanship
The D.C. Council will vote to effectively take away Council member Trayon White’s committee chairmanship when it returns from summer break Tuesday.
Ward 8 Council member White pleaded not guilty last week to taking a bribe to help steer government contracts.
Now, the D.C. Council will vote on reorganizing the Committee on Recreation, Libraries and Youth Affairs – splitting it into two subcommittees overseen by other council members, leaving White without a committee chairmanship.
“That will be before the Council tomorrow as a resolution, and I’m not expecting that there will be, I don’t see much debate about that,” Council Chairman Phil Mendelson said. “I think the Council members are supportive.”
Mendelson said the Council will hire an outside law firm to conduct an independent investigation into the bribery charge and whether White actually lives in Ward 8 as required by law. White was arrested in Ward 6, where he was living according to prosecutors.
Mendelson said those findings will determine whether the Council votes to remove him or not. That investigation will take months, and any vote to remove White would not come until early next year, Mendelson said, meaning White can continue to vote on legislation in the meantime.
“However one feels about the indictment – and I certainly think the charges are very serious and damning – however one feels, the reality is that the voters elected him,” Mendelson said. “He is an elected member, and the only way to stop that is to expel him.”
“I’m relatively confident that the Council will dispose of this matter no later than the beginning of the new year,” he said.
White also will remain on the general election ballot in November.
On Monday, Mayor Muriel Bowser said she would not be endorsing any candidate in the Ward 8 race.
Tuesday morning will be the first D.C. Council meeting since White was arrested. It’s unknown if White will attend or vote on the fate of his committee chairmanship.
Here’s what federal prosecutors say Trayon White did
Federal prosecutors say White agreed starting in June to accept $156,000 in bribes in exchange for using his position to pressure government employees to extend violence intervention contracts worth $5.2 million.
He’s accused of accepting envelopes full of cash as he was caught on a hidden camera. Here’s how the FBI broke down the payments:
- June 26: $15,000 cash received
- July 17: $5,000 cash received
- July 25: $10,000 cash received
- Aug. 9: $5,000 cash received
Images included in court documents show what prosecutors say is White receiving envelopes stuffed with cash.
An FBI informant who operated businesses that contracted with the D.C. government agreed to cooperate with authorities as part of an agreement to plead guilty to bribery and bank fraud charges. Several conversations between White and the informant were recorded in a parked car wired for video and audio, including outside White’s home, prosecutors say.
At one meeting, White and the informant discussed contracts the informant had with ONSE. The informant asked White if the contracts would be renewed and said he had $15,000 cash.
Initially, White asked, “What you need me to do, man? I don’t, I don’t wanna feel like you gotta gimme something to get something. We better than that.”
Then he tucked the envelope with the cash into his jacket pocket, prosecutors say.
White is due back in court in mid November for a status hearing. A trial isn’t expected to begin until sometime next year.
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Washington, D.C
SAPD to send 61 officers to Washington DC for Donald Trump’s presidential inauguration
WASHINGTON D.C. – Safety is a priority at the inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump next week.
San Antonio police is sending 61 officers to Washington, D.C., to assist the Metropolitan Police Department while Trump is sworn into office.
SAPD deployed 45 officers when Trump took office for the first time in 2017.
The increase in officers being sent this time reflects heightened security concerns and a greater emphasis on ensuring the safety of all attendees.
In addition to SAPD’s presence, law enforcement agencies nationwide are also mobilizing to provide support.
As preparations continue, authorities urge attendees to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activity.
The 60th presidential inauguration ceremony will begin at noon EST on Jan. 20.
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Washington, D.C
List: What to do in the DC area this week and weekend, Jan. 13-19
We share the best things to do every weekend in The Weekend Scene newsletter – it’s completely free to subscribe!
Call it D.C.’s biggest hits: Pandas, the Commanders, MLK Holiday DC Peace Walk & Parade are all on tap this week – and that’s before we even get to Inauguration Day!
Of course, if you want to see a panda this week, you must be a National Zoo member. But anyone can grab their free pass to visit the National Zoo once the pandas make their public debut on Jan. 24. The only thing you’ll need to see the pandas is your zoo pass… plus, patience and warm clothes. Expect a line to get into the panda habitat!
But everyone can watch the Commanders face the Lions at 8 p.m. Saturday. On Sunday, sixth-seeded Washington upset the No. 3 Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Can they clinch against the division leader? Every sports bar will be screening this highly anticipated showdown.
Here’s what else to do this week in the Washington, D.C. area.
What to do in Washington, D.C.
Hands-on Landscape Painting with Paloma Vianey: Weds., 6-8 p.m., Phillips@THEARC, 1801 Mississippi Ave, SE, free but registration required
NMWA Nights: Weds., 5:30 to 8 p.m., National Museum of Women in the Arts, $25
DC Improv Date Night: Weds., 7:30 p.m., DC Improv, $99 for food and drink package or $15 for general admission
Rock the Rink at The Wharf: Thurs., 6-10 p.m., The Wharf Ice Rink, anyone in Capitals gear gets $5 off admission
National Symphony Orchestra on the Millennium Stage: Fri., 6 p.m., The Kennedy Center, free but arrive early to get tickets
MLK Shabbat: Visions of Freedom and Justice: Fri., 7 p.m., Sixth & I, free
Concert: Mo Lowda & The Humble and Illiterate Light: Fri., 8 p.m., 9:30 Club, $25
20th Annual MLK Holiday DC Peace Walk & Parade: Sat., 11 a.m., Entertainment & Sports Arena, free
MLK Day of Service: Pope Branch Park cleanup with Anacostia Riverkeeper: Sat., 2900 M Place Southeast, free
Nerd Nite irreverent lecture series: Sat., doors 6 p.m., DC9, $10 (in advance) or $15 (day of)
Black A** Comedy: Sat., 7 p.m., Busboys and Poets 14th Street, $25
Charli x Sabrina x Chappell Dance Party: Sat., Black Cat, $10
Defying Gravity: A Wicked Party: Sat., Union Stage, $15+
Ye Olde Feast of Saint Vincent of Zaragossa!: Sun., 2 p.m., St. Vincent Wine at 3212 Georgia Ave NW, $72
Let Freedom Ring Celebration featuring Christopher Jackson and esperanza spalding, hosted by Taye Diggs: Sun., 7:30 p.m. The Kennedy Center, free (note: ticket giveaway begins at 5:30 p.m. at the Hall of Nations, limited to two tickets per person)
Union Stage Presents: Rare Essence , EU feat. Sugar Bear, DCVybe: Sun., 8:30 p.m., Howard Theatre, $55
Last chance – “Paris 1874: The Impressionist Moment”: Through Sun., the National Gallery of Art, free
What to do in Maryland
Theater: “What the Constitution Means to Me”: Jan. 15 to Feb. 16, Round House Theatre, $50+
SA-ROC (+ DJ OSO Fresh After Party): Fri., BlackRock Center for the Arts in Germantown, $35
Yoga at Brookside Gardens: Sat., 9:30 a.m., Wheaton, $14
Say It Loud: A Celebration of the Life of Martin Luther King, Jr.: Sat., BlackRock Center for the Arts in Germantown
Be’la Dona Brunch: Sun., 2 p.m., Bethesda Theater, $41.45 (including fees)
“Paper Dreams” at Imagination Stage: Through Feb. 16, Bethesda, $19.50
What to do in Virginia
Sean Gavin and Josh Dukes in Concert: Thurs., 7-9 p.m., Alexandria History Museum at The Lyceum, $25 ($10 under 18)
Comedy – Justin Martindale: Fri. and Sat., Arlington Cinema Drafthouse, $20
Silly Suds: Humorous Soapmaking Workshop: Sat., 9 a.m. to noon, Del Ray Artisans Gallery in Alexandria, $45-$55, plus $10 supply fee (must register by Weds.)
NOVA Wine Expo: Sat., 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Dulles Expo Center, $40+
Presidential Transitions Lecture & Historic Document Viewing: Sat., noon to 3 p.m., George Washington Presidential Library, $10
La Vang Lunar New Year Festival: Sat. and Sun., Dulles Expo Center in Chantilly, $10 ($5 with student ID or for kids 2 to 11)
Comedy Night in Leesburg Presented By The DC Improv: Sat., Tally Ho Theater in Leesburg, $20-$32
Ice & Lights-The Winter Village at Cameron Run: Through Feb. 23, Cameron Run Regional Park in Alexandria, $8.55+
Want to know what’s up for your weekend? Sign up for The Weekend Scene, our newsletter about events, experiences and adventures for you and for your family around the DMV.
Washington, D.C
Inauguration Day: Security zones and checkpoints in Washington, D.C.
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Capitol will be on lockdown during inauguration day. More than 30 miles of anti-scale fencing has been erected at key locations in Washington, D.C. Thousands of National Guard troops will be on duty to support the Secret Service.
“The Secret Service will bring agents and other specialists from field offices across the country to provide a full slate of visible and invisible security measures,” said William McCool from the U.S. Secret Service.
FBI Director Christopher Wray stated, “We’re not tracking any specific or credible threats to the inauguration.”
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There will be several layers of security, including a pedestrian-restricted zone with 40 checkpoints. This zone covers the White House, the U.S. Capitol, and the National Mall. All vehicles will be checked for bombs or other weapons on three sides of the White House and west to Union Station. On the southwest corner of Washington, D.C., all roads will be closed along the Potomac River.
“We’re dealing with a threat landscape where terrorists, whether they be foreign, jihadist-inspired, or domestic terrorists or others, can move from radicalization to action quite quickly, often with very crude but still lethal attacks,” Wray said.
FBI Director Christopher Wray also mentioned that the Secret Service, Homeland Security, and Capitol Police are taking the lead on inauguration security. “What I would tell you is that I have enormous confidence in the FBI’s men and women in our role as supporting the other agencies, which have the primary responsibility for securing the inauguration,” he added.
Visitors with questions about checkpoints and other security measures can find more information here.
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