WASHINGTON – Trayon White Sr., a District of Columbia councilmember, was arrested on charges of accepting bribes totaling over $150,000 in exchange for using his position to help companies with city contracts, as revealed in court records unsealed on Monday.

A Democrat who ran for mayor in 2022, White was arrested by the FBI on a federal bribery charge and is expected to appear in court on Monday.

According to an FBI affidavit, White agreed to accept kickbacks and cash payments to influence the extension of contracts worth over $5 million for violence intervention services. He also allegedly accepted a bribe payment to intervene in a contract dispute for one of the companies.

The FBI informant reported giving White gifts and bribes, including travel and cash payments. White, who represents a predominantly Black ward in DC with a high poverty rate, has been serving on the council since 2017.

White gained notoriety in 2018 for promoting antisemitic conspiracy theories, including one about the Rothschild family controlling the weather to create natural disasters. Despite facing controversy, White is running for re-election in November against a Republican challenger.

This latest scandal adds to the turbulent political landscape in DC, where Mayor Muriel Bowser defeated White in the Democratic primary two years ago.

In light of these developments, it remains to be seen how White’s constituents will respond and whether he will be able to retain his seat on the council.

Associated Press writer Ashraf Khalil contributed to this report.