DC Council member accuses FBI of wanting to kill him while being sworn back into his seat after being ousted over federal indictment

Trayon White, the Ward 8 DC Council member who was expelled from his seat after being federally indicted on bribery charges, has been sworn back into his seat. During his speech on Friday afternoon, White claimed that the FBI wants "to kill me."

"You know the FBI is after me, you know, but I believe that, you know, not just arrest me, but I believe they want to kill me, "White said. "And I don’t know if I should say this, but there was a meeting the other night that we had. And when I left that meeting, the next day I got a call from the person we had a meeting house at. And they said when we left, the next day the FBI knock on their door. And so this tell you this ain’t nothing light."

Per NBC 4, White was sworn in on Friday afternoon after winning July’s special election for the Ward 8 seat, which covers the southern half of Anacostia. 

In August 2024, White was indicted on federal bribery charges. He was accused of agreeing to receive money in exchange for using his office to pressure government employees at the Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement and the Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services to maintain government contracts. He allegedly received $156,000 over four payments in exchange for extending contracts worth $5.2 million. Video evidence reportedly showed White receiving cash-filled envelopes from a city contractor. 

His trial begins in January 2026, and White has pleaded not guilty. The DC Council voted unanimously in February to expel him; however, since he has not been convicted of a felony, White was allowed to enter the special election.