The Politics Hour: D.C. Council Chair Phil Mendelson discusses Trayon White’s arrest

The Politics Hour with Kojo Nnamdi

The FBI arrested Ward 8 D.C. Councilmember Trayon White on bribery charges this past weekend. The shocking turn of events had many in the District reacting and dealing with the fallout. Council Chairman Phil Mendelson got behind the mic to weigh in on the allegations against his council colleague and to explain what comes next.

Earlier in the week, the Chairman said he was forming a council committee to determine what action the council will take after White's arrest.

On Friday's show, he announced At-Large Councilmember Kenyan McDuffie would head the group. The committee will include the entire council, minus White. Council rules say there are three possible sanctions that could be levied against White: reprimand, censure, or expulsion. The committee has until December 16th to make its recommendation.

Mendelson suggested on Friday a recommendation could come sooner.

"This is not just a criminal matter, but a political problem," he said. "And, for the politics, we’d like this to be resolved as quickly as possible."

Mendelson also said that the council does not have to wait for the federal judicial process to play out to take their own action.

Plus, what can the D.C. Council do to prevent more tech problems at D.C.'s 911 call center?

Local leaders converged in Chicago for the Democratic National Convention. Prince William County Board of Supervisors Chair Deshundra Jefferson was there as a Virginia delegate. She joined the show to tell us what she saw and heard on the convention floor.

Plus, she talked about a new poll showing Harris now holding a slim lead over former President Donald Trump in the race for the White House. Jefferson said she believes reproductive rights will continue to be an issue driving voters to the ballot box.

"Virginia is the vanguard of the South," Jefferson said. "We have clinics that have waitlists, that have delays because we have people coming from other Southern states here to seek reproductive care."

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