A Washington, D.C., city councilman accused of running a $156,000 bribery scheme is attacking President Donald Trump’s federal takeover of the city’s law enforcement.
The remarks from Trayon White come even as the Democrat lawmaker awaits trial on serious corruption charges.
White, 41, was sworn back into the council on Friday after winning a special election in July.
It comes months after he was expelled by his colleagues over his federal indictment.
Asked about Trump’s newly announced plan to federalize the Metropolitan Police Department and deploy 800 National Guardsmen to combat crime and homelessness, White claimed the city doesn’t need “federal interference.”
“I think we have one of the strongest budgets of any city for the last 20 years,” White told reporters.
“We are fiscally responsible.
“We have a AAA bond rating.
“We’ve shown that we can be responsible with our funds.
“We don’t need federal interference.
“In fact, they’ve only crippled Washington D.C. and the progress we’ve made over the last four decades.”
White’s trial is set for January 2026.
Federal prosecutors allege he accepted bribes in exchange for “using his official position to pressure renewal” of contracts worth $5.2 million, tied to violence-prevention programs.
A Justice Department statement says the alleged scheme involved the Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement (ONSE) and the Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services (DYRS).
The FBI arrested White in August 2024 after releasing what prosecutors say is video of him pocketing envelopes stuffed with cash.
He has pleaded not guilty and insists the FBI is targeting him, going so far as to claim last week that federal agents “want to kill me.”
“You know the FBI is after me, you know, but I believe that, you know, not just arrest me, but, you know, but I believe they want to kill me,” White said Friday.
Despite his legal troubles, White was legally allowed to run for office since he has not yet been convicted of a felony.
His victory speech framed his return as a story of “resilience and redemption.”
Trump’s move to take control of D.C.’s police force comes amid a surge in violent crime and open-air drug use in the capital.
U.S. Attorney for Washington, D.C., Jeanine Pirro says too many “young punks” now feel “untouchable by the law.”
Pirro asserted that the problem demands decisive federal action.
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