Jackson Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba announced Wednesday that he has been indicted as part of the Jackson bribery scandal, calling it “political prosecution.”
Wearing a brown suit, Lumumba released a video statement at 4:10 p.m. on Wednesday. It read:
“Jackson residents, it is with great disappointment that I come before you. My legal team has informed me that federal prosecutors have, in fact, indicted me on bribery and related charges. To be clear, I have never accepted a bribe of any type as mayor. I have always acted in the best interest of the citizens of Jackson. We believe this to be a political prosecution against me, primarily designed to destroy my credibility and reputation within the community. There is no coincidence, and its timing being just before the upcoming mayoral race. My legal team will vigorously defend me against these charges. Again, while I am disappointed, I am not deterred, so I ask for your patience and your prayers during this process. Thank you.”
Lumumba’s announcement comes just over two weeks after he dodged questions about his involvement in Jackson’s bribery scandal. During an Oct. 21 press conference, Lumumba repeated the phrase “I have never conspired with anyone to commit a crime” to multiple questions. The mayor did admit to meeting the second conspirator to fall in the scandal, Sherik Marve’ Smith, on more than one occasion.
Lumumba, who is expected to appear in federal court Thursday, is the latest Jackson elected official to fall in the bribery scandal, following former Ward 2 Councilwoman Angelique Lee. Lee pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bribery in August, after accepting bribes from two undercover FBI agents posed as Nashville real estate developers. The former councilwoman took the bribes, totaling nearly $20,000, in exchange for her vote in favor of the undercover FBI agents phony real estate company for a city hotel project, as well as for a road closure in furtherance of the project.
The undercover FBI agents are known as “Individual 1” and “Individual 2” in court documents.
Lumumba is one of two Jackson elected officials involved in the scandal. The second official is known only as “Uninidcted Co-conspirator B” who took bribes in exchange for a vote for the undercover FBI agents company, just as Lee did, according to court documents. Ward 7 Councilwoman and Council President Virgi Lindsay has previously confirmed that only a member of the Jackson City Council has the power to cast votes in favor of development projects.
The revelation of two more Jackson officials being involved came on Oct. 17 when Smith, a local insurance specialist, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bribery. Smith’s bill of information states he and an “Unindicted Co-conspirator A” agreed to give “cash payments and campaign contributions to Unindicted Co-conspirator B and Un-indicted Co-conspirator C” from two undercover FBI agents posed as Nashville real estate developers.
Lumumba’s indictment reveals he is “Unindicted Co-conspirator C.” All that is known of “Unindicted Co-conspirator A” is they are a resident of Hinds County.
Court documents show on April 2 Lumumba directed a city employee to move up a deadline for the city’s long sought-after hotel project across the street from the Jackson Convention Complex. Lumumba agreed to move the deadline after accepting $10,000 for his “reelection committee” on April 1, which was given to him as a check from Smith to hide the real source of the funding — the Nashville “developers.”
The city has been aiming to build the hotel since the mid-2000s, according to previous statements from Jackson Spokesperson Melissa Payne. The latest attempt was on Jan. 31 when the city put out a statement of qualifications, or SOQ, for the project.
Three total companies bid on the SOQ, according to a public records request the Clarion Ledger received in August. One of the companies is called Facility Solutions Team, which was created by Hinds County District Attorney Jody Owens in March. Two months later, on May 22, Owens’ business and offices were raided by the FBI, who also took a trip to Jackson City Hall.
After the raids, Lumumba said “I have no information whatsoever on the District Attorney or anybody else” during a May 28 press conference.
Owens, in a statement through his lawyer released in August following Lee’s conviction, said he met with out-of-town developers about “the possibility of building a convention center hotel in Jackson.”
“He believed them and after multiple conversations, agreed to help them. It turns out they were operatives for the FBI,” Owens’ statement reads. “Given that status of the investigation, I don’t think it’s appropriate to say anything else at this juncture.”
Following Lee’s guilty plea, three members of the Jackson City Council, Ward 1 Councilman Ashby Foote, Ward 5 Councilman Vernon Hartley and Ward 7 Councilwoman and Council President Virgi Lindsay, also said they met with out-of-town developers. Ward 4 Councilman Brian Grizzell said he met one developer in passing; Ward 3 Councilman Kenneth Stokes said he might have received a call. All have denied taking bribes and none could verify if they were the agents that bribed Lee. Ward 6 Councilman Aaron Banks has not responded to repeated requests for comment on the bribery scandal or if he met with developers too.
What all of the individual council members’ meetings have in common is they were set up by DA Owens.
Jackson City Council president releases statement
After Lumumba’s announcement, Ward 7 Councilwoman and Council President Virgi Lindsay provided a statement to the Clarion Ledger:
“As President of the City Council, it is with a sense of gravity and responsibility that I address the federal indictment of Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba,” Lindsay said.
“My intent here is to speak directly to the people of the City of Jackson. I know you to be patient, open-minded, and empathetic – especially in times of duress. I remind myself that the presumption of innocence is a bedrock principle of our criminal justice system. 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. I will, however, share pertinent information with you as appropriate. Please keep faith in our collective power to thrive.”
Will Lumumba resign?
With Lumumba’s role in the bribery scandal, it’s unclear if he will be resigning as mayor — a job he’s had since first being elected in 2017. The mayor is on the tail end of his second term in office, which ends on July 1, 2025.
In February, Lumumba announced his intention to run for a third term. He reiterated this in early October. But after Smith pleaded guilty on Oct. 17, the Clarion Ledger asked the mayor if a forthcoming indictment affect his plans to run for a third term. Lumumba was not clear, only referring to the “I have never conspired with anyone to commit a crime” statement he made on Oct. 21.
Now that an indictment has been filed, it’s still unclear if Lumumba will run for reelection. It’s also unclear if he will resign as mayor.
Since Lee pleaded guilty, Tina Clay was elected to fill the Ward 2 seat on the council. Councilwoman Clay attended her first council meeting on Tuesday.
This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: MS bribery scandal: Jackson Mayor Lumumba indicted for bribery by the DOJ
