U.S. District Judge Rudolph Contreras declared a mistrial on September 28, 2026, in the bribery case of D.C. Council member Trayon White Sr. after a jury of eight women and four men deadlocked following three days of deliberations. White was accused of accepting cash bribes from a city contractor in 2024, captured on FBI video. Lead defense attorney Gary Kohlman revealed the jury voted 9-3 to acquit, though prosecutor Jeanine Pirro vowed to retry the case before a new jury.
Jury deadlock and mistrial declaration
- ▪On Monday, September 28, 2026, U.S. District Judge Rudolph Contreras declared a mistrial in D.C. Council member Trayon White Sr.'s federal bribery case after the 12-member jury failed to reach a unanimous decision
- ▪The jury, composed of eight women and four men, deliberated for more than three days before deadlocking on the bribery charge against Trayon White Sr.
Jury vote breakdown and defense reaction
- ▪Lead defense attorney Gary Kohlman stated on Tuesday, September 29, 2026, that the jury voted 9-3 to acquit D.C. Council member Trayon White Sr. of bribery
- ▪Defense attorney Gary Kohlman suggested that the 9-3 jury vote in favor of acquittal indicates prosecutors would face an uphill climb in a second trial of D.C. Council member Trayon White Sr.
Prospects of a second trial
- ▪Defense attorneys for D.C. Council member Trayon White Sr. stated they will seek to convince prosecutor Jeanine Pirro not to retry the bribery case against him
- ▪Prosecutor Jeanine Pirro vowed shortly after the September 28, 2026 mistrial to retry the bribery case against D.C. Council member Trayon White Sr. before a new jury
Bribery allegations and evidence
- ▪The FBI secretly videotaped four meetings in 2024 during which a city contractor handed envelopes of cash to D.C. Council member Trayon White Sr.
- ▪Federal prosecutors alleged D.C. Council member Trayon White Sr. faced a single count of bribery for accepting thousands of dollars from a city contractor during four meetings in 2024
Debatable claims
- ▪Federal prosecutors should retry D.C. Council member Trayon White Sr.
- ▪The FBI's video evidence is enough to convict Trayon White Sr. of bribery
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