D.C. Councilmember Seeks Indictment Retry
Defense counsel claims racial motive behind U.S. Attorney’s decision to reindict Ward 8 official.
By Beatriz Soto ·
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia announced last week that it will pursue a superseding indictment against Ward 8 Councilmember Trayon White. Prosecutors intend to bring new charges against White sometime next year. The current plan follows a mistrial in October regarding a single bribery count.
Gary Kohlman, White’s lead defense attorney, accused U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro of targeting White specifically because of his race. Kohlman stated that he has rarely raised racial arguments in his career, but believes it is the only explanation for the decision to retry a four-time elected official from Anacostia, a neighborhood with a majority African American population.
“I've never once gone down that direction,” Kohlman told News4. “But in this case, I don't see any other possible rationale for what's happening other than singling out an African American who happens to be dearly beloved and a four-time elected official from a majority of African Americans in Anacostia.”
Pirro rejected the accusation, stating that the office cares about the people of the District, not the color of the defendant. “That is absurd, OK? We don't care what color he is. We care about the people of this District,” she said.
Kohlman said his team attempted to reach Pirro directly after the mistrial. He described efforts to contact line attorneys, their supervisors, and Pirro herself to secure an audience for a frank discussion about the case. Kohlman said he had no prior professional relationship with Pirro before this matter.
If the defense continues, Kohlman plans to argue that White has been targeted. He intends to call Pirro as a witness during a hearing to support this claim. Kohlman also suggested that the move for a superseding indictment is designed to exhaust White’s financial resources, making it difficult to afford the legal team that mounted the vigorous defense in the first trial.
White is scheduled to return to court early next year for a status hearing. A new trial could begin in May if prosecutors proceed. White has told supporters he is considering establishing a legal defense fund to raise donations for his legal costs.
