DC Councilman Trayon White asks judge to dismiss federal bribery case after mistrial
Trayon White asks judge to dismiss bribery charge; judge orders Kennedy Center docs to be unsealed
D.C. Councilman Trayon White requested that a judge dismiss his federal bribery charge; a judge ordered court documents related to the Kennedy Center to be released and more top headlines.
WASHINGTON - D.C. Councilmember Trayon White has asked a judge to dismiss his federal bribery case after a mistrial was declared.
What we know:
White's legal team filed the motion for acquittal or dismissal, claiming another trial would be double jeopardy.
The move comes nearly a week after the jury in the case failed to reach a unanimous decision.
READ MORE | Trayon White Trial: Mistrial declared in federal bribery case; US Attorney Pirro plans to retry
White was charged with one count of federal bribery, and arrested in 2024 after allegations that he accepted more than $150,000 in cash to pressure District employees to extend government contracts for violence intervention services. He pleaded not guilty.
Businessman turned FBI informant Allieu Kamara secretly recorded White on several occasions. The videos, which were played in court, showed White accepting envelopes of cash from Kamara. He also testified that he drafted an agreement that would have yielded up to $156,000 for White.
White did not take the stand in his own defense during the trial.
READ MORE | Jury split 9-3 in favor of acquittal in DC Councilman Trayon White's bribery trial, he says
U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro said she plans to retry the case, but did not give a timeline for when that could happen.
White said the jury in the case was split 9 to 3 in favor of acquitting him before the mistrial was declared.
Before the trial, White was stripped of some council responsibilities. After the mistrial was declared, White said he planned to return to work on the council.
The Source: Information in this article is from court documents filed by Trayon White's attorneys.