Council member Trayon White, Sr. arrested by FBI on Sunday

Trayon White, Sr. (D), Councilman for District 8, was arrested by the FBI on Sunday afternoon, August 18, in an apartment building in the Navy Yard.

DC Council Chairman Phil Mendelson confirmed reports of the arrest to several media outlets on Sunday evening, adding that he (Mendelson) had no knowledge that the Ward 8 council member was under investigation.

The exact circumstances and motive for White's arrest were still unclear on Sunday evening. The FBI's Washington field office did not respond to requests for comment. Requests to White's staff also remained unanswered. White is scheduled to appear in federal court on Monday.

White is a protégé of former Mayor Marion Barry. He was first elected to represent District 8 in 2016. White won the Democratic nomination for the November 2024 election and will seek re-election for his third term.

White has been the subject of some controversy during his time in office. The media widely reported on comments White made in a video posted to Facebook during a 2018 snowfall in which he said the Jewish Rothschild family “controls the climate.” The Washington City Paper reported that White has also amassed more than $80,000 in fines related to his past campaigns, including $59,000 in campaign funds he received during his 2020 mayoral campaign.

This story will be updated.