Posted on 08/19/2024 2:17:44 PM PDT by rod5591
WASHINGTON (AP) — A District of Columbia councilmember known for promoting antisemitic conspiracy theories accepted over $150,000 in bribes.
Trayon White Sr., a Democrat, was arrested Sunday and ordered released from custody after a brief court appearance Monday. His attorney declined to comment.
White accepted roughly $156,000 in kickbacks and cash payments in exchange for pressuring government agency employees to extend two companies' contracts worth over $5 million, authorities allege.
White also accepted a $20,000 bribe payment to help resolve a contract dispute for one of the companies by pressuring district officials.
An FBI informant who agreed to plead guilty to fraud and bribery charges reported giving White gifts and paying him bribes, the FBI said.
White put his hand to his heart as he entered the courtroom and acknowledged his supporters who attended the hearing. One supporter held her hand to her mouth and sobbed from the gallery.
White, who has served on the D.C. council since 2017, represents a predominantly Black ward where the poverty rate is nearly twice as high as the overall district.
White, a former grassroots community activist, was a protégé of former Mayor Marion Barry, who also represented the same ward as White on the council.
In March 2018, White posted a video on his Facebook page claiming that an unexpected snowfall was because of “the Rothschilds controlling the climate to create natural disasters.” The Rothschilds, a Jewish family that was prominent in the banking industry, are a frequent subject of conspiracy theories.
White said he was unaware that the theory is antisemitic. A video later surfaced of White pushing a similar conspiracy theory during a meeting of top city officials. He posed a question based on the stereotypical premise that the Rothschilds controlled the World Bank and the federal government.
(Excerpt) Read more at carolinacoastonline.com ...
An FBI informant who agreed to plead guilty….
It seems the snitch was in hot water for stealing Covid funds. They started confessing to all sorts of stuff and apparently Trayon’s shady dealings came to light.
Maybe that's why he was bought so cheaply.
White, a former grassroots community activist, was a protégé of former Mayor Marion Barry, who also represented the same ward as White on the council.
Well, that explains things. But you DC voters, keep electing people like this to represent you. Even Marion Berry was re-elected to the DC Council after his... incident ... with crack and a prostitute in a DC motel no-tell.
“It’s OUR turn”
Aren’t all D.C. wards predominately black?
Professor, Me, Me, Me...
The B*tch set me up.
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