Two years, and two electoral victories later, Ward 8 D.C. Councilmember Trayon White has taken his place among the 2 percent of criminal defendants who come out on top after fighting the federal government in the court of law.
U.S. District Judge Rudolph Contreras recently declared a mistrial in a federal bribery trial where White was facing 15 years if convicted. Amid threats of a retrial from U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro, the Ward 8 council member has revealed a fall policy agenda that he’ll most likely be able to give a bit more attention.
“Kitchen Savages, Sweet Tooth, [and] a lot of [other] homegrown minority restaurants have closed recently,” White told The Informer. “It’s my job to work to make sure we can open up more stores and businesses so people can walk and shop and go and patronize their business in our community so we can circulate the dollar in our own community.”
On Monday morning, White once again stood with his supporters, and this time his attorneys, near the corner of 3rd Street NW and Constitution Avenue NW. That’s where he briefly addressed reporters before he and more than a dozen people walked around the corner to pray.
Members of that group later prayed with White and saw him off as he hopped in his vehicle and drove away from the city block where he’s spent the better part of two weeks.
Earlier that morning, a jury of 12 returned to Courtroom 23 of the E. Barrett Prettyman Federal Court Building to announce their deadlocked status for the third time. After meeting with the prosecution and defense, and later declaring that White would have his passport returned to him, Contreras expressed his gratitude to the jurors.
“I thank you for your service,” Contreras told jurors. “Without any prompting, you decided to come in. I commend you for your efforts. You put in a lot of time.”
What’s Ahead for White
It has yet to be announced how jurors voted. On Oct. 22, the prosecution and defense are scheduled to meet once again to determine whether there will be a retrial. For White’s attorneys, however, the issue has already been settled.
“As far as I’m concerned and the legal team is concerned, Ward 8 has spoken twice now. They want this man to be their representative,” Warren G. Kohlman, the lead attorney on White’s legal team, said about his client. “The jurors spoke today in terms of whether there should be a retrial or not, so we will be filing appropriate motions to do everything we can to get justice, which is to not have another trial.”
White and his supporters later made their way to the John A. Wilson Building, where White faces the question of whether D.C. Council Chair Phil Mendelson (D) will reinstate the committee chairmanship that White lost in the aftermath of his 2024 arrest.
While the council chair, as of last week, has yet to make a decision, White said Ward 8’s political standing hangs in the balance.
“We have more leverage when we can have a foundation to oversee government agencies and also influence the $20 billion budget to make sure that, since historically we got less, [we get more] in a community that’s been underserved and neglected for over three decades,” White told reporters on Sept. 28. “We want the same fairness that everyone else has. I’m not a freshman council member. I’ve been on the council [for] almost a decade. And so we’re going to make sure that we get the same rights and access to resources as everyone else.”
In his remarks, White spoke about the perils of the legal system and his portrayal in the media since his 2024 arrest. He also revealed his plans to pursue a law degree again while expressing solidarity with attorney Ben Crump and the family of the late Nolan Wells.
Most of the time, however, White thanked those who stood by his side, including Ward 4 D.C. council member and Democratic mayoral nominee Janeese Lewis George, who swore him back into office in early 2025 despite, as he recounted, threats against doing so. At the end of a reflection, in which the Ward 8 council member evoked Christian and Muslim greetings, he issued a warning to District residents, young and old, who continue to come into contact with the legal system.
“I’m not gloating because of the acquittal that happened today,” White said, “but I’m thoughtful and I’m grateful and humbled that I’ve learned from this not to be here again. So if you’re in the streets, get out [of] the streets. Find something productive, find your purpose, find your gifts.”
One of White’s Most Faithful Speaks
Throughout the entire trial and jury deliberation period, Ward 8 elected official Regina Pixley has been a consistent presence in Courtroom 23. She called her witnessing of the legal process part of her obligation to a man who’s given so much to Ward 8.
“Outside of being a council member, he does so much more that he’s not paid for,” Pixley, Ward 8 committeewoman for the D.C. Democrats, told The Informer. “He’s knocking on doors, talking to mothers. He’s going to these deplorable senior homes in Ward 8. He’s going up to the grocery store and saying, ‘No, please don’t close. Stay open.’ He’s going down Marion Barry Avenue, fighting to keep Black businesses open.”
Long before defense attorneys revealed the nature of White’s relationship with FBI informant Allieu Kamara, Pixley counted among those who knew Kamara to be White’s brother-in-law, and not a businessman as depicted by prosecutors. She said she kept that relationship under wraps through some of the Ward 8 council member’s most difficult moments, including his council expulsion.
Pixley, who’s worked with White for a decade, said the council’s ad hoc committee, at the time led by then-At large D.C. Councilmember Kenyan McDuffie, acted preemptively to remove White. With the legal process behind White, for the time being, Pixley said she’s looking forward to White’s council colleagues taking a different posture toward him.
“It’s time that they start treating him with the respect [given by] the Ward 8 residents [who] have voted to keep him,” Pixley told The Informer. “Y’all know this man is capable of the work. We’re going to keep thanking God, because it could have been a different way. But because God said yes. We’re going to get back to work and do what needs to be done for our ward.”
