In the center of Washington, D.C., councilman Trayon White is facing bribery charges that revolve around an FBI informant. The informant, who is now accused of being the founder of a nonprofit organization, managed to secure millions of dollars in contracts with the city.
In 2019, Life Deeds encountered a predicament with two of its contracts with the Department of Health and Human Services. It was uncovered that the company had submitted fabricated documents regarding the criminal backgrounds of its workers at a homeless shelter. As a consequence, HHS decided to terminate its contract with Life Deeds. However, this termination was disputed in court.
The individual who served as the FBI informant has admitted to committing fraud through the Paycheck Protection Program and bribing a D.C. official. According to his account, he allegedly paid White a bribe of $20,000 in 2020, with the intention of leveraging his authority to persuade the city to refrain from terminating contracts with his organization.
The contract details in the indictment, including the mentioned monetary amount, align with the public records filed by Life Deeds when they went to the D.C. Contract Appeals Board in 2020 to challenge the city.
Months later, Life Deeds received new contracts and grants from the city, with an estimated value of $11 million. As part of their responsibilities, they were tasked with overseeing housing for youth who were transitioning out of juvenile detention. Additionally, they played a crucial role in mediating and de-escalating violent conflicts between different neighborhoods.
Life Deeds awarded two contracts without any competitors.
Officials stated that Life Deeds, a nonprofit organization dedicated to reducing violence between neighboring groups, was the ideal candidate for the awarded contract.
They emphasized that selecting another group would have negative consequences for the project, as the District has been diligently working to address the longstanding issue of gun violence between these communities for over 20 years.