<p>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.</p>
<p>The jury, composed of eight women and four men, could not reach a unanimous decision on the single count of bribery facing White. U.S. District Judge Rudolph Contreras determined that a mistrial was necessary.</p>
<p>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 for violence prevention, youth mentorship, and homelessness services.</p>
<p>Businessman Allieu Kamara, acting as an FBI informant, secretly recorded videos of White allegedly taking the bribe in 2024. Based on this evidence, the FBI arrested White that summer.</p>
<p>White has consistently denied the bribery allegations, although he has not disputed accepting the money. During the trial, his attorneys argued that the prosecution failed to prove that the money constituted a bribe and that White never intended to use his office to deliver the contracts for Kamara.</p>
<p>White remains in office after winning a special election in July 2025, successfully reclaiming his seat. The D.C. Council had unanimously expelled White in February 2025. A guilty verdict would have likely led to his removal from the legislative body again.</p>
<p>After receiving a note from jurors indicating they could not reach a unanimous consensus on Friday, Judge Contreras ordered the jury to continue deliberating, despite the defense’s request for a mistrial. He changed his mind after jurors reiterated their inability to decide on White’s innocence or guilt on Monday.</p>
<p>Following the declaration of a mistrial, White expressed gratitude to God and his supporters for what he described as a 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.”</p>
<p>Prosecutors plan to retry White, who could face up to 15 years in prison if convicted. The defense is seeking an acquittal. Both parties will meet in court on October 22 to determine the next steps in the case.</p>
<p>U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro, who oversees Washington, D.C., issued a statement following the mistrial, stating, “We have video showing piles of cash being given to a D.C. councilmember as part of a $156,000 bribe. Rest assured that we will retry this case and every corruption case to verdict.”</p>