Jurors in the federal bribery trial of D.C. Councilmember Trayon White Sr. told the judge Friday they were deadlocked after three days and roughly 15 hours of deliberation — and were sent back to keep trying rather than allowed to declare a mistrial.

White, 42, has represented Ward 8, the city's poorest ward, since first winning election in 2016 and returning to the seat via a 2025 special election. He's accused of taking $35,000 in cash from an FBI informant — later revealed to be his own brother-in-law, Allieu Kamara — in exchange for agreeing to pressure D.C. officials to renew city contracts for Kamara's violence-interruption company, Life Deeds. Prosecutors also allege White agreed to a $156,000 kickback, equal to 3% of the contract's value. Legally, prosecutors only had to prove White intended to act on the deal, not that he actually delivered — a distinction that became central to the jury's difficulty.

On Friday, jurors sent U.S. District Judge Rudolph Contreras a note stating: \"The jury is unable to reach a unanimous decision.\" Contreras told them they had \"not been deliberating for that long\" and ordered them to continue, over the objection of defense attorneys who had asked him to declare a mistrial; prosecutors also opposed a mistrial, according to the Washington Post's coverage of the deadlock.

I'VE SEEN A LOT OF PEOPLE IN MY SITUATION THAT NEVER LEFT THESE DOORS

White, flanked by dozens of supporters outside the courthouse, struck a defiant tone. \"I've seen a lot of people in my situation that never left these doors,\" he said, adding: \"We're still steadfast.\" He was arrested in August 2024 and has maintained his innocence throughout, with his attorneys arguing he was framed by the informant, according to WTOP's reporting on the trial.

A conviction would carry the risk of years in prison and the loss of his council seat. As of this writing, deliberations were ongoing following the judge's order — with either a verdict or a formal mistrial declaration still to come.