Overview
- Prosecutors told the court Thursday they will pursue a superseding indictment and retry Trayon White after a federal jury in September reported it was hopelessly deadlocked and a mistrial was declared.
- The government says it has video and recorded conversations showing envelopes of cash being handed to White and alleges he received $35,000 with plans for roughly $150,000 in total payoffs tied to city contracts.
- White’s lawyers say the retrial and possible new charges are punitive and racially motivated, noting a reported 9–3 jury split favoring acquittal and warning that more litigation could force him to replace counsel for financial reasons.
- Multiple pretrial motions by White asking for acquittal, dismissal and to bar a second trial remain pending, the judge has not ruled, and prosecutors told the court a new trial could not start before May at the earliest with a Feb. 2 hearing set to move the case forward.
- The case has already reshaped local politics after White’s August 2024 arrest, his unanimous ouster from the D.C. Council, and his successful 2025 special election bid to reclaim the Ward 8 seat, and a prolonged retrial would extend uncertainty for his constituents.