Federal bribery trial for DC Council member opens

Federal prosecutors opened their case against D.C. Council member Trayon White Sr., accusing him of accepting roughly $156,000 in payments from his brother-in-law, an FBI informant, to steer city homeless services contracts worth over $5 million. Video shown to jurors captured four meetings where the informant, Allieu Kamara, handed White envelopes of cash totaling $35,000, with an alleged deal for White to receive 3% of the contract proceeds going forward.

White's attorney argued the informant, who has his own guilty plea for a $230,000 bribe, entrapped White in what he called an 'almost biblical' setup, and that no explicit quid pro quo occurred. Prosecutors countered with recorded meetings, including one where White sought to extend the informant's company's contract territory to a mayoral official who was reportedly confused about why White was advocating for a company that did not operate in his ward.

White was expelled from the council after his indictment but was returned to office by Ward 8 voters in a narrow special election win last year. The trial, presided over by Judge Rudolph Contreras, is expected to run two weeks, with testimony expected from the city's former attorney general and deputy mayor for public safety.

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