D.C. Council member Trayon White, who has an active federal bribery case against him, took the podium to celebrate Mayor-elect Janeese Lewis George’s victory Tuesday night in Southeast Washington.
Mr. White spoke at the Sycamore & Oak community venue in Ward 8, which is in his district, and said the incoming mayor has been “anointed and appointed for this time.”
“We have to get behind her, to love her and support her because it’s not going to be easy,” Mr. White said. “We’re looking for equity and inclusion across all eight wards.”
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Mr. White also dedicated an Instagram post to Ms. Lewis George as the first socialist elected to mayor in the District.
One of the photos on his carousel showed several fellow council members at the watch party, including Chairman Phil Mendelson, Ward 2’s Brooke Pinto, Ward 6’s Charles Allen and Ward 7’s Wendell Felder.
“I’m excited to support my sister, our next leader, who is gonna lead us into the next wave of equity inclusion. That’s a government for the people,” Mr. White said at the mic.
Mr. White remains on the D.C. Council following a mistrial in his federal bribery case in September.
A jury could not reach a unanimous verdict about Mr. White’s intentions after hidden-camera videos captured him taking $35,000 dollars when meeting FBI informant Allieu Kamara.
Kamara, a former nonprofit executive, began working with federal authorities after pleading guilty to defrauding a COVID-19 relief fund.
Prosecutors argued, and Kamara testified, that Mr. White was being paid as part of a bid-rigging scheme to ensure Kamara’s organization had its contract renewed with the city.
But Mr. White’s defense team said the lawmaker never intended to make good on his agreement with Kamara — which must be proved to secure a conviction under the federal bribery statute.
Evidence shared in court detailed how Mr. White met with government officials in charge of certain contracts and even asked about Kamara’s status with the city. But those officials testified that Mr. White never pressured them into renewing the contract with Kamara’s former company.
Without a conviction, Mr. White avoided a potential 15-year prison sentence and was able to keep his seat on the D.C. Council.
The council expelled him in February 2025, but he regained his seat that summer in a special election.
D.C. law bars only convicted felons from serving as elected officials.
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