Jurors in the federal bribery trial of Ward 8 D.C. Council member Trayon White said they were unable to reach a unanimous decision on their third day of deliberations Friday, and went home for the weekend without reaching a verdict.
Shortly after deliberations began, the jurors sent Judge Rudolph Contreras a note that said they are not able to reach a decision.
During a discussion about the note between the prosecution, defense and the judge, defense attorney Gary Kohlman said “enough is enough” and moved for a mistrial. Prosecutor John Crabb wanted them to continue to work toward a decision, and Contreras agreed.
Contreras encouraged jurors to keep trying after he received a note that said they were unable to come to a decision. He said that it is still early in the deliberation process, and that the jurors should continue talking while also taking time for quiet reflection.
Jurors sent two more questions to the judge focused on White’s intent when he accepted $35,000 in cash from Allieu Kamara, an FBI informant.
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According to the defense’s response to the questions, jurors asked whether receiving money in exchange for an official act could amount to a violation of official duty if White never intended to follow through. They also asked whether it would constitute bribery if he received money to perform an official act but had no intention of carrying out the agreement.
Judge Contreras said the answer to both questions was “no,” and referred jurors back to the jury instructions.
White was arrested in 2024 on the charge that he accepted $35,000 from Kamara in exchange for pressuring D.C. employees to extend city contracts for violence intervention services. Prosecutors alleged that White also agreed to accept more than $150,000 from the contracts.
To convict, jurors must find that prosecutors proved beyond a reasonable doubt that White knowingly accepted money as part of a corrupt exchange in return for being influenced in an official act.
White has pleaded not guilty. He faces up to 15 years in prison if convicted.
White held a news conference Friday afternoon where he thanked his supporters for continuing to believe in him.
“I want to thank my family, my friends, my loved ones, and even my enemies, because all of it has kept me motivated and steadfast during one of the most troubling times in my life. Today has been just one of those days. We still here, we still standing, and we’re still fighting. And so to the people behind me that have loved on me, prayed for me, believed in me, encouraged me, wrote me letters, DM’d me, text me, called me, I say ‘thank you,’” he said. “The amount of love and support I’ve received from this region has been second to none. I’m forever indebted, and I’m forever grateful.”
Despite not hearing a decision from the jury Friday, White said he remains “patient.”
“We’re still believing and we’re still pressing,” he said.
A conviction would also cost White his council seat, which he regained after the D.C. Council expelled him following its investigation into the allegations stemming from his 2024 arrest.
WTOP’s Mike Murillo contributed to this report.
IUSTITIA.BG – Investigations 2009-2026 2026-09-26 00:00:00
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