Councilmember Trayon White, Sr. Arrested By FBI Sunday

Ward 8 Councilmember Trayon White, Sr. (D) was arrested by the FBI at a Navy Yard apartment building the afternoon of Sunday, August 18.

D.C. Council Chairman Phil Mendelson confirmed reports of the arrest to multiple outlets Sunday evening, adding that he (Mendelson) had been unaware that the Ward 8 councilmember was under investigation.

Full circumstances and motivation for White’s arrest were not clear Sunday evening. The FBI Washington Field Office did not reply to requests for comment. Requests for comment to White’s staff were also not returned. White is expected to appear in federal court Monday.

White is a protégée of former Mayor Marion Barry. He was first elected to represent Ward 8 in 2016. White won the Democratic nomination for the November 2024 election to resume the role for what would be his third term.

White has been the subject of some controversy during the time he has held office. Media widely reported comments White made in a video posted to Facebook during a snowfall in 2018, in which he said that Jewsih family the Rothschilds were “controlling the climate.” Washington City Paper reported that White has also accumulated more than $80,000 in fines related to his previous campaigns, including $59,000 in fair election funds he received during his 2020 run for mayor.

This story is updating.