No verdict reached in DC Councilman Trayon White’s bribery trial; jury to return Thursday

WASHINGTON - The jury in D.C. Councilman Trayon White’s federal bribery trial did not reach a verdict Wednesday, during the first day of deliberations. The jury is scheduled to resume discussions Thursday morning.

What we know:

White is facing a single bribery charge and is accused of taking cash payments and using his official position to extend contracts for his former friend turned FBI informant, Allieu Kamara.

The jury began deliberating around 11 a.m. Wednesday and stopped around 5 p.m. They will return on Thursday at 9:30 a.m.

During the afternoon, jurors submitted a single key question to the judge: Did they need to find that a contract was ultimately extended or that an actual benefit occurred to convict White of bribery?

The judge responded simply, "No," before sending the jurors back to continue deliberating.

READ MORE | FBI informant testifies in DC Councilman Trayon White’s federal bribery trial

The question echoes legal precedents set in the high-profile bribery case of former Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell, whose conviction was ultimately reviewed by the U.S. Supreme Court. The Supreme Court ruled in that case that simply arranging meetings or hosting events does not constitute an "official act" under federal bribery law.

White's defense team appears to be relying on similar reasoning, arguing that White’s conversations with government officials, such as Kwelli Sneed, do not qualify as official acts.

Prosecutors pointed to a written agreement stipulating White would receive a 3% cut of any contract extensions secured for Kamara as evidence of illegal bribery.

Though the outcome is impossible to predict, legal observers note that extended deliberations in a short trial featuring only a single count and a small number of witnesses historically tend to favor the defense.

Washington, D.C.News