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Running in a special election triggered by your own expulsion from office is a political move so brazen that perhaps only the Mayor-for-Life Marion Barry could’ve pulled it off. It’s poetic, then, that his protege, the now-former Ward 8 Councilmember Trayon White, is ready to give it a go.
White was, at last, booted from the D.C. Council over his bribery scandal in a unanimous vote Tuesday, achieving a feat of ignominy that his similarly scandal-plagued predecessors could not. This is likely to be just a bump in the road for his political future, however, as pretty much every Ward 8 politico expects him to win another term in office (or at least come awfully close) if he runs again.
The former councilmember, who sat among his supporters in the Council chamber Tuesday, rather than on the dais, hasn’t made his plans explicit yet (and he rushed off into his office to avoid a flock of reporters following the vote). But he has been telegraphing defiance for weeks now, assailing the legality of the Council’s moves to expel him and stressing that he earned the trust of the Southeast voters who re-elected him to a third term in November despite his pending bribery charges. Plus, he’s now without the six-figure salary attached to his Council office, several Ward 8 insiders noted to Loose Lips, all of whom fully expect White to run again. “He’ll be back!” one of his supporters shouted moments after the expulsion vote.
“We’re just going to elect him again,” vowed Regina Pixley, one of White’s staunchest supporters, who (unsuccessfully) sued to block the Council vote, before a crowd of TV cameras outside the Council meeting room.
White’s attempts to play the victim of a racist federal prosecution might seem a bit lame to most observers—considering he was literally caught on camera discussing a kickback scheme—but the evidence against him does not appear to have damaged his standing in much of the ward. These are Barry’s old stomping grounds, after all, where many voters relished sticking a thumb in the eye of the political establishment by repeatedly re-electing the mayor-for-life despite his many failings. White’s transgressions may be serious, but they pale in comparison to these communities’ decades-long suspicions about the motives of the FBI.
“If he decides he wants to run, I hope the Ward 8 residents vote him back in to spite the Council,” says Stuart Anderson, an activist who’s worked against White in the past two election cycles but has been incensed by the Council’s move to expel him. “How dare you suppress my vote?”
White’s threats to enter the race have chilled the simmering conversations among other Council hopefuls considering special election bids. For more on how the race is developing, and what White’s future might hold after his expulsion, check out our full story online.
—Alex Koma (tips? akoma@washingtoncitypaper.com)
- The remains of all 67 victims of last week’s plane and helicopter collision over the Potomac River have been recovered. Crews are still working to recover pieces of the commercial jetliner and the US Army Black Hawk helicopter. A handful of local organizations are working to support the first responders and recovery crews as well as the families of the victims. [Post, Guardian, Washingtonian]
- Almost all staff for the U.S. Agency for International Development, including the approximately 1,400 employees based in D.C., will be put on leave by Friday. The move is part of the Trump administration’s effort to downsize the federal government and will essentially end U.S. humanitarian missions in more than 100 countries. Meanwhile, Thursday is the deadline for all federal employees to decide whether to accept Trump’s sketchy offer to resign with pay through September. [Politico, CBS, Post]
- A wintery mix of sleet and rain is expected to arrive in D.C. Wednesday evening, potentially causing problems for Thursday’s commute. [WTOP]
By City Paper staff (tips? editor@washingtoncitypaper.com)
- The Council voted Tuesday to approve the formal transfer of the RFK Stadium campus into D.C.’s control, though some lawmakers (including Ward 6 Councilmember Charles Allen, At-Large Councilmember Christina Henderson, and Ward 5 Councilmember Zachary Parker) used the occasion to stake out their opposition to the use of any public money on a new Commanders stadium there. [Fox 5, NBC Washington, X]
- The city’s economic development agency is also refusing to release details of a study it commissioned last year to examine public funding models for a future stadium. [WUSA9]
- The saga over elections for advisory neighborhood commissioner seats in the Foggy Bottom-West End neighborhood continues. Dennis Sobin, the former porn purveyor who was on track to win a seat on the ANC before elections officials intervened, is suing to block the special election process. He claims that his mobility issues prevent him from collecting the signatures he needs to get on the ballot. [GW Hatchet]
By Alex Koma (tips? akoma@washingtoncitypaper.com)
- A flock of backyard chickens in Montgomery County tested positive for the bird flu virus, according to the Maryland Department of Agriculture. The flock of about 20 birds was killed to prevent the spread of the disease. Nina Ashford, chief of public health services for the county Department of Health and Human Services, says people who don’t interact with poultry, livestock, or backyard flocks don’t need to worry about becoming infected. She said flu shots could provide some level of protection. [Post]
- Dolcezza Gelato & Coffee is expanding to H Street NE and at least one more location before the end of the year. The location on H Street, in the lobby of the Apollo apartment building, will be the chain’s sixth location in the D.C. area. [WTOP]
By City Paper staff (tips? editor@washingtoncitypaper.com)
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