A federal judge declared a mistrial in Washington, D.C., Councilman Trayon White’s bribery case on Monday after jurors deliberated for more than three days.
The jury, composed of eight women and four men, could not come to a unanimous decision on the single count of bribery facing White. As a result, U.S. District Judge Rudolph Contreras determined a mistrial was necessary.
White, who represents Ward 8, was accused of accepting $35,000 in cash and agreeing to accept $156,000 in kickbacks in exchange for promising to use his influence as a public official to steer $5.2 million in D.C. government contracts that would provide violence prevention, youth mentorship, and homelessness services.
Businessman Allieu Kamara, operating as an FBI informant, secretly recorded videos to catch White taking the bribe from him in 2024. Based on the evidence, the FBI arrested White that summer.
The defendant has consistently denied the bribery allegations, though he has not disputed taking the money. During the trial, his attorneys argued the prosecution failed to prove the money amounted to a bribe and that the councilman never intended to use his office to deliver the contracts for Kamara.
White is still in office after he won his special election in July 2025, successfully reclaiming his seat. The D.C. Council unanimously expelled White in February 2025. A guilty verdict would have likely led to his removal from the legislative body again.
After receiving a note from jurors that they couldn’t reach a unanimous consensus on Friday, Contreras ordered the jury to continue deliberating despite the defense’s request for a mistrial. Contreras changed his mind after jurors reiterated they could not decide on White’s innocence or guilt on Monday.
After the judge declared a mistrial, White thanked God and his supporters for the favorable outcome.
“This has been one of the hardest two years of my life fighting this system,” White said at a press conference. “But through it all, I’m grateful. I’m humble, and I feel like I’m redeemed again.”
Prosecutors plan to retry White, who could face up to 15 years in prison if he’s convicted. The defense is seeking an acquittal. Both parties will meet in court on Oct. 22 to determine next steps in the case.
JUDGE ORDERS DEADLOCKED JURY TO CONTINUE DELIBERATIONS IN TRAYON WHITE BRIBERY TRIAL
U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro, who presides over Washington, D.C., issued a statement following the mistrial.
“We have video showing piles of cash being given to a D.C. councilmember as part of a $156,000 bribe,” Pirro told the Washington Post. “Rest assured that we will retry this case and every corruption case to verdict.”