Jackson Mayor Indicted on Federal Bribery Charges

By: Epoch Times - US Posted On: November 07, 2024 View: 4

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Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba said the development was a ‘political prosecution’ aimed at undermining his 2025 reelection campaign.

The mayor of Mississippi’s capital city, Jackson, announced Wednesday that a federal grand jury has indicted him on bribery charges.

Jackson Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba said the development was a “political prosecution” aimed at undermining his 2025 reelection campaign.

“My legal team has informed me that federal prosecutors have, in fact, indicted me on bribery and related charges,” Lumumba said in a prerecorded video statement shared on social media. “To be clear, I have never accepted a bribe of any type. As mayor, I have always acted in the best interests of the city of Jackson,” he added, according to WLBT News.

The indictment, which has not been publicly released by the courts, follows a sting operation involving undercover FBI agents posing as real estate investors from Nashville, Tennessee.

Lumumba’s legal team has pledged to “vigorously defend” him against the charges.

“We believe this to be a political prosecution against me, primarily designed to destroy my credibility and reputation within the community,” Lumumba added.

Lumumba, a Democrat who has served as Jackson’s mayor since 2017, is not the only city official implicated in the investigation.

Another council member, Angelique Lee, also a Democrat, resigned in August after pleading guilty to similar federal charges.

Prosecutors accused Lee of accepting thousands of dollars from two undercover FBI agents pretending to be real estate developers aiming to build a hotel in downtown Jackson.

In October, Hinds County businessman Sherik Marve Smith pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bribery in October. According to court documents dated Oct. 16, Smith allegedly conspired with three “Unindicted Co-conspirators,” who are elected City of Jackson officials, to “corruptly give, offer, and agree to give things of value” to the unnamed elected officials.

Jackson City Council President Virgi Lindsay responded to Lumumba’s indictment by urging patience and respect for the judicial process.

“I remind myself that the presumption of innocence is a bedrock principle of our criminal justice system,” Lindsay, a Democrat, said, according to WAPT-TV. “Therefore, I will remain steadfastly focused on the work of our city council, and trust the legal system to unfold without undue commentary from me.”

The Epoch Times has contacted Lumumba’s campaign for comment.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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