After D.C. Council member Trayon White was arrested and charged with a federal count of bribery, “the initial reaction was shock,” said Marcus Ellis, an anti-violence leader in the District.
Ellis has known White for a long time, often working with him on homicide scenes or with families that have been affected by gun violence.
“That’s been our primary relationship,” Ellis said. “I think that it’s human nature to be shocked by what it is that the council member is being accused of.”
The case against White brushes up against the local anti-violence community. White is accused of accepting cash bribes from the owner of two companies that had contracts with D.C. to provide violence intervention services.
“The community is hurting right now in a lot of different ways,” said Ellis, who is the executive director of Peace For D.C., an anti-violence nonprofit that trains violence interrupters to step in and stop community disputes before they get out of control.
Ellis noted that White represents Ward 8, which includes some of the areas in the city that “are most impacted by gun violence.”
While the allegations are troubling, Ellis said he views it as an isolated incident.
“We have a lot of professions in the United States of America and they don’t all operate perfectly,” said Ellis. “We have to remain focused and understand that there are a lot of people on the ground doing amazing work.”
“We have to stay committed to the work,” Ellis added. “These are data-driven approaches that are proven to reduce gun violence.”
Prosecutors accused White of agreeing to accept a total of $156,000 in cash payments from the business owner, who was not named in court documents.
White allegedly took the money and, in return, agreed to pressure D.C. government employees and agencies to renew the owner’s contracts and continue supporting the companies.
The council member release a statement on Monday saying he acknowledged the “recent criminal complaint” against him.
“We recognize the seriousness of this matter. We want to assure Ward 8 residents and stakeholder that our office remains fully operational and steadfast in our commitment to serving the public,” his statement said.
White is due back in court for his next hearing on Sept. 19.
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