Washington, D.C
DC Council expels Trayon White as he fights federal bribery charge
The D.C. Council voted unanimously Tuesday to expel Councilmember Trayon White, who was arrested last summer on a federal bribery charge and accused of accepting $35,000 cash.
White, 40, was arrested by the FBI in August on a charge of taking tens of thousands of dollars in bribes to influence city contract decisions. His federal trial won’t start until January 2026, but preliminary evidence shows White pocketing cash-stuffed envelopes from a city contractor-turned-informer.
Despite the arrest, White was reelected to a third term less than three months later with limited opposition.
“Bribery of elected officials is quintessential corruption,” Council Chairman Phil Mendelson said before the vote. “Trust is precious. Trust is critical for an elected government and we must act.”
It’s the first time in modern D.C. history that the Council has expelled one of its own members. Most recently, in 2019, former councilmember Jack Evans — facing multiple charges of ethics violations — resigned ahead of an expulsion vote.
White refused to cooperate with an internal Council inquiry that ended up recommending his expulsion.
During Tuesday’s council hearing, White sat silently in the audience surrounded by supporters. Meanwhile, a panel truck sat parked outside the D.C. government building with an electronic display showing a picture of White and the message “FBI set me up.” Another image in the shifting display showed a picture of Mendelson underneath the word “Racist.”
After the vote, White declined to answer reporters’ questions as he went to his office for perhaps the final time.
Special election will be held for Ward 8 seat
The D.C. Board of Elections will declare the Ward 8 seat vacant and will schedule a special election to be held from 70 to 174 days from now.
White is free to enter the special election, as long as he hasn’t been convicted of a felony.
When News4 asked Councilmembers Mendelson and Kenyan McDuffie if they would vote to expel White a second time should he win the special election, both said they did not want to speculate.
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 is 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.
U.S. District Court for D.C.
U.S. District Court for D.C.
An FBI informant who operated businesses that contracted with the D.C. government cooperated 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 the Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement. 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.
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Washington, D.C
PHOTOS: Washington Nationals unveil District Blueprint uniforms to kick off 20th anniversary season – WTOP News
The District Blueprint uniforms feature a baby blue jersey and cap sporting a stylized block “W.”
A stylized block “W” is surrounded by an outline of the Capitol Dome, flanked on either side by cherry blossoms.
An image of D.C.’s iconic street grid printed on the jersey represents the players “wearing the city’s streets on our heart,” according to a news release from the team.
A 3D interlocking D.C. logo on the jersey’s chest nods to the 1956 Washington Senators logo, while mosaic detailing on the white pants celebrates the diverse community, according to the team.
The Nationals will wear the District Blueprint uniforms for the first time on March 29 and March 30, 2025.
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It’s been more than a year since Blake Bozeman was shot and killed at a nightclub along H Street Northeast, and now a man tasked with stopping gun violence in D.C. is under arrest.
“He wasn’t just an athlete, he was a businessman, he was a realtor, he had community service,” Blake Bozeman’s father, Todd Bozeman, told News4 at a basketball game honoring his son.
The 31-year-old was known as a family man and stand-out basketball star at Morgan State
University.
“Some people say he finished the race, but he really didn’t finish the race because he didn’t get his kids through,” Todd Bozeman said.
On Friday, D.C. police announced two arrests in the case: Cotey Wynn and Antwan Shelton were arrested and charged with first degree murder while armed.
Police said the shooting happened at the Cru Hookah Lounge along H Street.
Wynn is known for his work on D.C. streets as a violence interrupter with the Cure the Streets program. The organization works with the District’s Office of the Attorney General.
Wynn and Shelton were at the lounge and allegedly planned the shooting, according to court documents.
Investigators released photos of Wynn and Shelton walking up to the lounge before the shooting, which show the moments Shelton allegedly began firing inside the crowded lounge, striking and killing Bozeman and injuring three other people.
“He’s not going to be able to walk his daughter down the aisle, do the father daughter dance, none of that,” Todd Bozeman said.
Blake Bozeman worked as a realtor and left behind his wife and three young kids.
In a statement to News4, the OAG said, “These allegations are deeply troubling, and our hearts go out to the victims, their families and their loved ones. Our office had no knowledge of Cotey’s potential involvement in any events related to his arrest.”
Both Wynn and Shelton remain behind bars and are due back in court on April 1.
Former D.C. Chief of Police Jerry Wilson, who led the Metropolitan Police Department during the tumultuous late 60s and early 70s, died earlier this month at the age of 96.
Former D.C. Chief of Police Jerry Wilson, who led the Metropolitan Police Department during the tumultuous late 60s and early 70s, died earlier this month at the age of 96 in an assisted living facility in Gainesville, Virginia, according to the Washington Post.
Wilson was born in 1928 in South Hill, Virginia, before moving to North Carolina. He dropped out of high school as a young man to join the United States Navy, serving from 1943 to 1946. He pivoted to the United States Marine Corps until 1947, before heading home and finishing up school.
In 1949, Wilson joined the D.C. police force. He quickly rose in the ranks, and becoming the Field Operations Commander as Assistant Chief of Police.
As assistant chief, Wilson took an important stand in the aftermath of the 1968 assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Junior, prohibiting officers from firing at looters and rioters during the riots that followed the assassination, according to the Washington Post.
Many said Wilson’s action prevented widespread bloodshed in the City.
He was promoted to chief the next year, largely in part of his handling of the riots. Wilson was the last police chief before D.C. received home rule in 1974.
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© 2025 WTOP. All Rights Reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.
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