An FBI informant took the stand Wednesday in the bribery trial of D.C. Councilmember Trayon White, denying he’s the defendant’s brother-in-law and testifying money he gave White on camera was bribery.
On Tuesday, the first day of testimony in White’s bribery trial, the defense said FBI informant Allieu Kamara was married to White’s sister.
And that was one of the first questions prosecutors asked Kamara Wednesday afternoon. He testified he and White are not brothers-in-law nor related in any way.
Kamara also testified there were never any cash loans or gifts between Kamara and White and the envelope of money Kamara is seen on video giving to White was not a campaign donation, either – but a bribe.
The bribery trial against D.C. Councilmember Trayon White is now within sight, with jury selection set to begin Friday and the trial set to begin as early as next week. News4’s Mark Segraves, who has followed the case since the beginning, shares the embattled councilmember’s story so far.
White is accused of accepting cash from an associate in exchange for using his elected position to help extend city contracts for the associate’s businesses. He pleaded not guilty.
Video played in court Tuesday and Wednesday 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 claims that there were bribes, saying there’s no proof Kamara didn’t owe White money from past dealings between the two men.
The lead FBI investigator on the case testified Tuesday that he heard about the brothers-in-law connection for the first time during the trial.
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.
White 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 say they secretly recorded conversations between White and an FBI informant who gave White the $35,000 in cash on four occasions. Prosecutors say he was offered $156,000.
The person in charge of grants for the D.C. Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services testified Wednesday morning that it was unusual for a government official to contact him about a specific contract and had never happened to him before, but when asked if White tried to influence him on any contract, he said “no.”
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.
Kamara, who continues testifying Thursday, was escorted in and out of court by two FBI agents through the garage and a secured elevator.
Correction (Thursday, Sept. 17, 6:11 a.m.): This article has been updated to reflect the amount in bribes White is accused of accepting. It also clarifies when the lead FBI investigator testified he heard about the brothers-in-laws claim: during the trial, not at the time of the arrest.
