District council representative apprehended in suspected $156,000 bribery incident, aiming to secure violence prevention contracts for illicit kickbacks.
Southeastern DC's representative, White, was apprehended by the FBI on Sunday and is scheduled to appear in DC's federal courthouse on Monday afternoon.
As part of the suspected bribery scheme, White was to receive kickbacks from substantial city contracts associated with violence intervention services in DC. In total, White consented to accept $156,000 in cash for his involvement – equivalent to 3% of the contracts' value, according to prosecutors.
The plan was outlined in recorded discussions, as stated in court documents. White reached these agreements with a local entrepreneur who had contracts with the DC government. Unbeknownst to White, this individual had already pleaded guilty to federal bribery charges and was cooperating with law enforcement.
White repeatedly communicated his financial needs to the informant, based on recordings cited in court documents, expressing that he was in a "tough spot." The court filings also reveal that the informant proposed offering White thousands in cash to sway city officials towards particular contracts that would benefit their businesses, as well as brainstorming other contracts that they could pursue in the future.
In one conversation, White was overheard asking the informant what they needed from him.
"I don't, I don't wanna feel like you gotta give me something to get something. We're better than that," White said, before accepting an envelope filled with thousands in cash from the informant.
The councilman allegedly boasted about his influence, telling the informant that "I'm a major force when it comes to violent prevention and the Council" and that "I carry a lot of weight when it comes to violence" initiatives.
The two also discussed how White would use his position as a councilman to exert pressure on government employees to "support" him, according to court documents. White detailed some of these conversations in recorded conversations with the informant, at one point saying that he told a government employee: "The only way I'm gonna support you, if you support me."
In light of the bribery allegations, White's political career in DC could be at risk. Despite his influential role in violence intervention services, White's involvement in this politics-related scandal has raised serious questions about his integrity and commitment to public service.
