At the heart of Washington, D.C., councilman Trayon White‘s bribery charges is an FBI informant, who is now alleged to be the founder of a nonprofit organization that secured millions in contracts with the city.
Allieu Kamara, founder of a nonprofit organization helping underserved community members, Life Deeds, allegedly bribed White with $35,000 last summer, according to a tip given to the Washington Post, and then a subsequent investigation which confirmed it.
The organization is geared toward “offering assistance with housing, employment, and strength-based initiatives,” according to its website. Since 2012, Life Deeds has secured at least $20.5 million in contracts with the District across a large scope of agencies.
However, the group found itself in trouble in 2019 with two of its contracts with the Department of Health and Human Services when it was discovered that Life Deeds had submitted falsified documents for criminal backgrounds for its workers at a homeless shelter. HHS terminated its contract with Life Deeds, but it was challenged in court.
D.C. considered blocking city contracts to the nonprofit group for five years, but the COVID-19 pandemic diverted city officials’ attention from pursuing action, according to City Administrator Kevin Donahue. As part of the May 2020 settlement, Life Deeds did not have to admit wrongdoing and would not be receiving a payout.
The man who worked as the FBI informant pleaded guilty to fraud from the Paycheck Protection Program and bribery of a D.C. official. He told law enforcement officials that he paid White a $20,000 bribe in 2020 to use his position of power to influence the city to stop its termination of contracts with his organization.
The contract details, including the monetary amount mentioned in the indictment, match the public records filed for when Life Deeds went to the D.C. Contract Appeals Board in 2020 to challenge the city.
Months later, Life Deeds was awarded new contracts and grants from the city, which totaled an estimated value of $11 million. Their work included managing housing for youth transitioning out of juvenile detention, and de-escalating violent feuds between neighborhoods.
Two of the contracts Life Deeds awarded did not have any competitors.
Officials explained that a contract awarded to the nonprofit organization focused on alleviating violence between neighboring groups would be best suited for Life Deeds, as officials said going with another group “would be detrimental to this important project as the District is working tirelessly to resolve our challenges with gun violence between these two communities, which has lasted over 20 years.”
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Following White’s arrest last month, Kamara has departed from the nonprofit organization.
The Washington Examiner reached out to Life Deeds for comment.