By D. Kevin McNeir
Special to the AFRO
On September 17, an ad hoc committee of the D.C. Council, chaired by At-Large Councilmember Kenyan R. McDuffie, began its initial steps in pursuing an independent investigation into allegedly illegal actions of Ward 8 Councilmember Trayon White, who was arrested in August by the FBI and charged with bribery.
However, McDuffie made it clear that the committee did not presume to be a court that would attempt to adjudicate White’s criminal charges.
“The Ad Hoc Committee is established so that the Council can consider whether there have been violations of our code of conduct, rules or policies that warrant Council action,” McDuffie said in a statement. “We will provide Councilmember Trayon White with due process as is required by fundamental fairness and under the Council Rules. We owe it to the residents of the District of Columbia to conduct an independent investigation with integrity before making our recommendations.”
White, accused of accepting more than $35,000 in cash along with a guarantee that he would receive additional gifts totaling more than $150,000, had previously chaired a council subcommittee with the responsibility of overseeing the Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement and the Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services. He was stripped of his committee leadership role after he was indicted on federal charges. However, on Dec. 16, the committee voted unanimously to recommend the expulsion of White from the Council.
The full Council must still vote on whether to censure or expel White with a final vote expected on Feb. 4, 2025.
White was elected to a third term by D.C. ‘s Ward 8 voters in November by an overwhelming majority of 20,371 votes (75.84 percent), according to the D.C. Board of Elections. The 40-year-old councilman will have the opportunity to speak before the Council in his own defense in a hearing set for Jan. 28. 2025. Still, it remains to be seen if he will exercise that chance.
While Phil Mendelson, Council chairperson, said in a statement that the Council’s report found “substantial evidence” that White violated rules which council employees agree to follow, White has yet to appear before his colleagues and has been reluctant to speak with the press.
AFRO requests for interviews and/or statements from McDuffie and D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser were not answered ahead of the print deadline.
However, two prominent, longtime activists in the District, the Rev. Franklyn Malone and Stuart Anderson, spoke with the AFRO with reflections that illustrate the breadth of thoughts which continue to circulate among members of the Black community in Washington, D.C.
Malone, CEO and founder of The 100 Fathers Inc., a D.C.-based, nonprofit advocacy group which he has led for 19 years, and who is a resident in Northeast D.C., said he’s concerned about the example that White has set for future leaders.
“I have long supported Trayon and love him as a brother, but we cannot excuse immorality or the absence of integrity,” Malone said. “If he has made a mistake, he needs to admit it and be willing to accept the consequences. No one is above the law. This is not about popularity. And it’s not about race. We must have leaders who talk the talk and walk the walk.”
Anderson, a former candidate for D.C. Council Ward 8 who currently serves as an elected Ward 8 committee man and second vice chairperson for the Ward 8 Democrats, has lived in Southeast D.C. for 18 years.
He said it’s premature for the Council to recommend the expulsion of White.
“I believe what they’ve done is wrong,” Anderson said. “For me, they’re standing on the edge of a slippery slope. I differ from a lot of my colleagues because I see the Council attempting to penalize Trayon White before he has the chance to exercise his constitutional rights.”
“The Council should not act until White’s right of due process has run its course,” continued Anderson. “They just don’t have the authority to do so, and it sets a precedent that deeply troubles me. He’s innocent until proven guilty. That’s the law and that’s how the Council should have proceeded.”