D.C. Councilmember Trayon White (D-Ward 8) recently took an oath of office for the third time, vowing to uphold the very laws that, according to an independent investigation, he violated last summer.
Before an audience of more than 100 District residents, elected officials, and government personnel, a newly reinstalled White gave what some would describe as his most direct, reflective public statement to date about his federal bribery charge.
“As a public servant, we have a duty to our city,” White said on Jan. 2. “This morning, I want to say that I apologize to my city and I love my city to the core of who I am. I am not a perfect man, but if you get to know me, you know I’m a good man.”
White, who later declined to specify the reason for his apology or the offense to which he was speaking, acknowledged his grandmothers, and the late William O. Lockridge and D.C. Mayor Marion Barry in his remarks. He also touted the Barry Farm redevelopment, the presence of 13 Black-owned businesses at Sycamore & Oak on St. Elizabeths Campus, the launch of homeless shelters, a newly launched go-go museum, and other projects as a testament to his efforts to help Ward 8 residents.
“I worked tirelessly over the last couple of years to the best of my ability advocating to stand in the gaps to make sure Ward 8 is included in the economic prosperity of our city,” White said as he delved into the work that involved various stakeholders. “With the help of my staff, with the help of the residents who come to the hearings, email text, call to fight for what we need, and with the help of Mayor Bowser we have done great things in our ward.”
White’s federal bribery trial is scheduled to start at the beginning of 2026. If convicted, he faces up to 15 years of imprisonment.
Within the next few weeks, an ad-hoc committee, which now includes D.C. Councilmember Wendell Felder (D-Ward 7), will vote on a motion to expel White from the D.C. Council. Last month, the committee unanimously chose that motion after an independent investigation found White in violation of the D.C. Home Rule Act and D.C. Code of Conduct when he allegedly accepted cash bribes and agreed to influence violence interrupter contract procurement in favor of a local nonprofit.
On Jan. 2, a newly reinstalled D.C. Councilmember Janeese Lewis George (D-Ward 4) administered White’s oath of office, after what a D.C. government employee familiar with the situation described to The Informer as White’s inability to secure a judge for the task.
In his remarks, White acknowledged the cloud over his head as he expressed his desire for collaboration and grace. He told the audience that he wanted to carry out his duty to make legislation and advocate for equity in communities east of the Anacostia River.
“With a troubled heart, I want to say I’m committed to bettering myself and bettering the community,” White said. “I want to thank you for your criticism, your love and most importantly your prayers. All of this makes me stronger. We have more work to do and I assure you God is not finished with me yet. I’m committed to bettering myself and the community because God has mighty work for me to do in ݮtv, D.C.”
For a Moment, Unity with Statehood as the Anchor
The Jan. 2 D.C. Council swearing-in ceremony preceded similar official gatherings for newly-elected advisory neighborhood commissioners and members of the D.C. State Board of Education. It also kicked off Council Period 26, and the District’s 51st year of Home Rule.
As guests trickled into the Ballroom at the Walter E. ݮtv Convention Center in Northwest, a documentary featuring former D.C. Mayor Sharon Pratt Kelly and former D.C. Councilmember Arrington Dixon, among several other former and current local elected officials, played on large projector screens.
On-camera comments about Home Rule laid the foundation for a swearing-in ceremony focused on how to counter threats to local governance and realize the longtime goal of D.C. statehood. D.C. Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton (D), fresh off a legislative victory that put RFK campus under the control of the D.C. government, announced that she would be reintroducing her D.C. Statehood bill in the House on Jan. 3, the first day of the new legislative session, with 143 original co-sponsors.

“D.C. statehood is the only political solution to end the undemocratic treatment of D.C. residents and we will make it happen,” Norton said in reference to the bill that, for the first time ever, passed the House in 2020, and again in 2021. “I will continue working with D.C. officials, D.C. residents, and our allies in Congress and across the country to make the District of Columbia the 51st state and to defend Home Rule. Let’s get to work.”
D.C. Council Chairman Phil Mendelson (D) continued the Home Rule thread, mentioning D.C.’s drop in crime and fully funded government pensions, among other things, as signs of good local governance. He then called out congressional Republicans for impeding D.C.’s ability to address issues that trigger congressional hearings and conversations about repealing Home Rule.
“If members of Congress do come after us, I’ll be the first to point out how bad they are at running governments, failing to confirm the appointment of our judges, which impacts crime,” Mendelson said. “Underfunding our police year after year, totaling $83 million over the past four years. Actually contributing to crime in the District by preventing the regulation of medical cannabis, failing to adopt their budgets on time, and constantly on the verge of government shutdown.”
Throughout much of last year, when Mendelson and D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser (D) weren’t attending congressional oversight hearings, the legislative and executive branches of D.C. government often clashed on crime prevention and various aspects of the local budget, including school funding, affordable housing and food subsidies.
Bowser and the council worked to keep Monumental Sports & Entertainment in the District and, albeit with some pushback from some council members, passed comprehensive public safety legislation. On Jan. 2, Mendelson struck a conciliatory tone in his remarks at the swearing in, calling collaboration the best path forward to tackle quality of life issues affecting District residents.
“Collaboration is a good thing,” Mendelson acknowledged, but with conditions. “But to be successful, we will have to make choices, because we can’t keep adding new things to pay for when we aren’t taking care of everything we already have. We learned that lesson with Monumental Sports this year, that we have to take care of what we already have.”
Bowser, who marked the start of her 11th year as District mayor on Jan. 2, spoke more enthusiastically about, among other milestones, the District’s record level of tourism, a population increase to more than 700,000, crime dropping to 2019 levels, office-to-residential conversions, and the upcoming launch of Cedar Hill Regional Medical Center, Ward 8’s first new full-service hospital in 25 years.
With recent developments in Congress, Bowser said there’s even greater potential for economic development that benefits all D.C. residents — if she and the council get along.
“We finally have control of our destiny at RFK campus with 170 acres of beautiful land on the Anacostia. And I don’t even know how long it’s been for this, but the Commanders are in the playoffs,” Bowser said. “So council members, we’re going into 2025 with a lot of momentum. It’s ours to keep and ours to use. So let’s stick together and use it to make ݮtv, D.C. better. I know that we will work together. We will keep lines of communications open and we will be strong and strategic in advancing our D.C. values to get big things done.”
Wendell Felder Makes a Statement, At-Large Councilmember White’s Entourage Fills the Stage
After taking an oath of office administered by Mendelson, Felder acknowledged Dr. Delia Houseal-Smith of the Ward 7 Democrats, former D.C. City Administrator Rashad Young, Eric Williams, Karen Settles and former Ward 7 D.C. Councilmember Vincent C. Gray, among several other Ward 7 and District juggernauts, as his greatest supporters.
He then spoke about his upbringing before hinting at his legislative priorities.
“In the fundamental essence, my story and Ward 7’s story are one in the same. The only difference is that people were not afraid to invest in me, and with the right investments, we can work to attract the best and brightest teachers to educate our babies,” Felder said. “We can improve our healthcare outcomes and ensure our seniors age in place. Create opportunities for small business owners. We can work to put 295 underground. Make Downtown Ward 7 a destination hub. Redevelop RFK and make Ward 7 the envy of the region.”

With the D.C. Council to soon conduct agency budget oversight and deliberate on Bowser’s Fiscal Year 2026 budget proposal, Felder said Ward 7 residents need to participate in discussions about resources and development.
“We want to expand economic prosperity and opportunities in our communities,” Felder told The Informer. “I will continue to do what I do to meet residents where they are.”
Guests at the swearing-in included: former D.C. Councilmembers Betty Ann Kane, Jack Evans, Yvette Alexander, and Brandon Todd, along with Kathy Patterson, who serves as D.C. auditor. Prince George’s County Councilmember Jolene Ivey also counted among those in the audience. Joining Mendelson and Lewis George as oath administrators were: U.S. District Court Judge Loren L. Alikhan; D.C. Superior Court Senior Judge Anita M. Josey-Herring, D.C. Superior Court Associate Judge Kendra D. Briggs, and D.C. Court of Appeals Associate Judge John P. Howard III.
Newly re-elected D.C. Councilmember Brooke Pinto (D-Ward 2) took her oath of office as her parents and other family members stood around her on stage. D.C. Councilmembers Christina Henderson, Felder and Lewis George, a new mother, similarly had generations of family close by as they placed one hand on the Bible and swore to uphold the U.S. Constitution and D.C. Home Rule Act.
However, D.C. Councilmember Robert White, while getting sworn into his third term, deviated from norms set by moderators Kojo Nnamdi and Tom Sherwood. He went beyond the 10-person limit, flexing a group of supporters that numbered in the dozens and crowded the middle of the ballroom stage.

Later, in his remarks, White, chair of the council’s Committee on Housing, vowed not to ignore residents before going on to what he called the council’s unfinished business.
“It’s time to move beyond labels like ‘pro-business’ or ‘progressive’ and just be about the business of progress,” White said. “Bold enough to measure progress by the results, not the intentions. Humble enough to show how many people we bring to a cause, not how many we cast as villains. Compassionate enough to understand that trickle-down economics never trickles down enough for the people at the bottom.”
White left the audience with a message he said that his grandmother would describe as words of wisdom.
“People will build a vision they see themselves in, and they will tear apart what doesn’t include them,” White said.
Perspectives from the Ground
Irene Jamison, a longtime friend of At large Councilmember White’s paternal grandmother, counted among those who attended the D.C. Council swearing-in ceremony in support of the third-term council member and one-time mayoral candidate.
For years, Jamison served as a campaign volunteer, knocking on doors and attending events on White’s behalf. Throughout the years, she’s also attended White’s other swearing-in ceremonies, all in support of a person who she’s seen grow into his current leadership role.
“Robert’s a wonderful council member and dad who’s for the people, and has always been for the people,” Jamison, a Northwest resident, said about At large Councilmember White. “Some of the seniors I talked with… talk about the cost of living being so high. Going to his meetings, I see Robert would always make time for people and follow up with them.”
Long before the swearing-in ceremony, former D.C. Councilmember Yvette Alexander walked through the aisles of the ݮtv Convention Center ballroom, greeting colleagues and constituents. As Ward 7 enters a new era of political leadership, she expressed her hope for significant improvements to the ward. “I’m looking forward to Ward 7 having that energy to make positive things happen,” said Alexander, who represented Ward 7 on the D.C. Council between 2007 and 2017. “We have a lot on the horizon. I hope that [Councilmember Felder] can bring that energy back to the ward and unite the community.”
Meanwhile, the Rev. Anthony Motley, a Ward 8 clergyman and activist, spoke favorably about the remarks of his beleaguered council member. He told The Informer that Ward 8 Councilmember White opened the door for forgiveness.
“It takes a man to stand up and say they made a mistake,” Motley told The Informer. “I appreciate that he gave an apology and he said he would do better. I’m looking forward to sitting down with him as he goes into his new term.”