Jurors in D.C. Councilmember Trayon White’s federal bribery trial told the judge on Friday morning that they are unable to reach a unanimous decision after 15 hours of deliberation. The judge ordered them to keep trying and to reassess after their lunch break.
White was charged with bribery after he was seen on video accepting envelopes stuffed with cash.
The defense asked the judge to excuse the jury and declare a mistrial. Prosecutors urged the judge to order jurors to continue deliberations, which he did.
White, who represents Ward 8, was arrested on a charge that he accepted $35,000 in bribes in exchange for pressuring D.C. employees to extend city contracts for violence intervention services. Authorities said they secretly recorded conversations between White and an FBI informant who gave White the cash on four occasions. Prosecutors said White was offered $156,000.
White pleaded not guilty and maintains his innocence.
The defense told jurors they need to find that prosecutors proved three things: that White took the money, that he was a public official at the time, and that he agreed and intended to commit a corrupt official act. White’s attorneys argue prosecutors have never proved White’s intent.
A key question among jurors is whether they must find that White intended to commit a corrupt official act. On Wednesday, they asked the judge in a note whether a man seen on camera giving White cash needed to receive a contractual benefit in exchange for the money for it to be considered bribery. The judge’s answer was “no.” On Thursday, jurors asked if it’s bribery if White took the money but did not intend to commit a corrupt act. The judge again said “no.”
The second day of deliberations in the Trayon White bribery case ended without a verdict. News4’s Mark Segraves reports key questions from the jury had to do with the definition of bribery and intent.
The majority-white jury is made up of nine women and five men.
The maximum penalty White would receive is typically 15 years, but he likely would receive a lesser sentence because it would be his first offense.
The defense decided not to use an entrapment argument as part of their closing arguments, which wrapped Tuesday in the federal bribery trial of D.C. Councilmember Trayon White. Starting Wednesday, the 12 men and women on the jury decide White’s fate. Watch News4’s Mark Segraves report.
D.C. law says anyone convicted of a felony while holding office cannot be a councilmember. People familiar with the matter said they expect a court battle over whether White could continue to hold his position during an appeal. It’s unclear if White’s expulsion will happen immediately, at sentencing or after all appeals are exhausted.
Other D.C. Council members voted unanimously to oust White after his arrest, but he won a special election last year to retake the Ward 8 council seat vacated by his expulsion.
In the fourth day of testimony in the federal bribery trial of D.C. Councilmember Trayon White, prosecutors went over what they called a “bribery contract” and showed video of what they say was first time an FBI informant gave him cash. Plus, an IRS special agent testified on White’s overdrawn checking account at the time. News4’s Mark Segraves reports.
Key witness said cash he gave Trayon White were bribes
An FBI informant took the stand and testified the cash he gave White on camera was bribery. Allieu Kamara said there were never any cash loans or gifts between Kamara and White, and that an envelope of money Kamara is seen on video giving to White was not a campaign donation; it was a bribe, he said.
Video played in court showed five meetings involving the councilmember, including several in which White took cash and spoke about government contracts with Kamara.
The defense tried to poke holes in prosecution’s claims that the funds were bribes, saying there was no proof Kamara didn’t owe White money from past dealings.
Agents arrested White on Aug. 18, 2024, because of guidelines about elected officials and upcoming elections. It was the deadline before the FBI would have had to suspend the investigation until after the November 2024 election.
The person in charge of grants for the D.C. Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services testified that it was unusual for a government official to contact him about a specific contract and said that had never happened to him before. But when asked if White tried to influence him on any contract, he said “no.”
Defense argued cash White took may have been campaign donations
The defense told the judge on Tuesday that they would not say in closing arguments that White had been entrapped. If they had, prosecutors would have been able to bring in any evidence of alleged misdeeds by the councilmember, in a bid to prove he was predisposed to taking a bribe.
The defense argued that jurors did not hear from a single witness who said White pressured them to do anything wrong to get contracts approved. They went after Kamara’s character. The defense did not try to explain why White was taking cash, except to say the funds may have been campaign donations, which they argued is not necessarily illegal.
The prosecution walked jurors through video evidence and texts.
Kweli Sneed, who was interim director of the Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement, testified for the defense. In videos, White could be heard saying he pressured her and threatened not to vote for her confirmation unless she helped with the contracts.
Under oath, when Sneed was asked by defense attorneys if that ever happened, she repeatedly said “no” and that he never put any pressure on her or threatened her confirmation.
In a social media post before the trial began, White asked Black residents to make sure that they were registered so they might be a part of the jury pool. There were a couple of prospective jurors who said they had heard the allegations from the U.S. attorney about possible jury tampering from that Instagram post, which was later deleted.
Two witnesses took the stand on day one of testimony in the federal bribery trial for D.C. Councilmember Trayon White. News4’s Mark Segraves reports.
Prosecutors showed ‘bribery contract’ between White and Kamara
Prosecutors went over what they called a “bribery contract” and showed video of what they say was the first time Kamara gave him cash.
Plus, an IRS special agent testified on White’s overdrawn checking account at the time.
The prosecution hammered on video of Kamara giving White cash – $15,000 – and the conversation between the two.
“What do you need me to do, man? I don’t want you to feel like you need to give me something to get something,” White says.
“No, no, it’s cool. That’s cool, but I definitely need you,” Kamara says.
Prosecutors went over a handwritten document they referred to as the bribery contract. Kamara laid out all the contracts he was seeking help with, their dollar amount and what the 3% kickback would be for White if he helped, totaling up to $141,000.
An IRS special agent testified that at the time White was taking cash payments from Kamara, White had $9 in his savings account, and his checking account was overdrawn by as much as $1,000.
White, a D.C. native, first represented Ward 8 on the Council in 2017. The former community activist draws frequent praise for his work to prevent gun violence, advocate for crime victims and create opportunities for young people.
Stay with NBC Washington for more details on this developing story.
For the first time since being charged with taking a bribe, D.C. Councilmember Trayon White has publicly apologized — during his swearing-in ceremony for another term on the Council. News4’s Mark Segraves reports.
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