Former DC councilmember wins back seat months after being expelled over bribery charge

A recently expelled D.C. Council member has won the seat from which he was removed five months ago after being charged with accepting cash bribes.

Trayon White is set to reclaim the seat he vacated back in February when members of the D.C. Council voted unanimously to remove him from the position, a first in the city’s history.

In August 2024, the FBI arrested White after he was accused by federal authorities of agreeing to accept $156,000 in bribes. His trial is scheduled to begin in January 2026. White denies any wrongdoing and is pleading not guilty in the federal case, despite apparent video of him pocketing allegedly cash-stuffed envelopes. 

A Justice Department statement from August 2024 alleges that White agreed to accept the bribes in exchange for ‘using his official position to pressure renewal’ of contracts valued at $5.2 million.

White was allowed to run in the special election because he had not been convicted of a felony.

‘So we sent a message loud and clear to D.C. City Council that Trayon White is here to stay,’ White said in his victory speech, according to the Associated Press, which called the race. The outlet added that the troubled ousted council member told the story of his return to office as one of resilience and redemption. 

Now, D.C. Council members are facing a choice: Do they allow White to take back his seat or do they expel him again, effectively disregarding the will of Ward 8 voters? They still have time to decide as White will not be sworn into office until after the election results are certified in August. However, according to Axios, the council has the ability to preemptively block White from taking office due to the corruption scandal.

White’s story echoes that of controversial former D.C. Mayor Marion Barry in more ways than one. Barry famously staged a historic political comeback after the FBI caught him on camera smoking crack cocaine. 

White is being represented by Frederick D. Cooke Jr., who also served as Barry’s defense attorney, according to the Associated Press. Furthermore, after his two mayoral terms, Barry served as the Ward 8 representative on the D.C. Council, first winning the seat in 2005. He held the position until his death in 2014.