WATCH: Trayon White talks Trump's threat to take over DC after swearing in to DC council
FULL VIDEO: Trayon White sworn in as Ward 8 Councilmember
Trayon White was reelected to D.C. Council in a special election last month, after being removed from the Council following federal charges for bribery.
WASHINGTON - Trayon White was sworn in to the D.C. Council Friday following a special election for Ward 8—the seat left vacant after he was arrested on federal bribery charges and later expelled.
What they're saying:
White is still facing federal bribery charges. His trial is set for early next year. The 41-year-old politician is accused of accepting more than $150,000 to help secure $5 million worth of contracts for a violence intervention program. He has pleaded not guilty.
"We gotta make sure each and every day that when I say unfinished business, my job is to come back with fire and passion, and we are unapologetic about saving our black boys and our black girls in our community because they matter," said White during Friday's ceremony.
White did make mention of his reelection and arrest by the FBI.
"God ain't finished with me yet, and this may be a reelection, but I know I got a long way to go because I know people... the FBI is after me, you know, but I believe that, you know, not just to arrest me, but I believe they wanna kill me," said White.
Big picture view:
FOX 5 asked Councilmember White and Ward 7 Councilmember Wendell Felder about Trump's threatened federal takeover of the District.
"I think we have one of the strongest budgets of any city for the last 20 years. We are fiscally responsible. We have a AAA rating bond rating. We've shown that we can be responsible with our funds. We don't need federal interference. In fact, they've only crippled Washington D.C. and the progress we've made over the last four decades," said White.
"As a council member, you know, it's up to our legislative body working with the executive to come up with public safety measures to keep our citizens safe. We don't want any congressional or federal interference, so it's very concerning," said Felder.
The backstory:
White was expelled by the Council after it was alleged that he accepted over $150,000 in bribes in exchange for extending city contracts.
The councilman was arrested by the FBI in August 2024. He won re-election to a third term just a few months later-an indication of a street-level popularity that echoes his political mentor: iconic former D.C. Mayor Marion Barry.
The council then unanimously voted to expel White in February 2025. However, he was allowed to run in the special election because he has not been convicted of a felony.
His federal trial won't start until 2026 but preliminary evidence includes videos of White taking envelopes full of cash from a city contractor, allegedly in return for securing lucrative city contracts.
What's next:
Once White is sworn in, it's unclear whether the D.C. Council will decide to once again expel the councilman, or wait until his trial begins and see if he is convicted on his charges.
His trial is set to begin in January 2026.