Mississippi mayor says he faces political prosecution with bribery charges
The mayor of Mississippi’s capital city says he has been indicted in an alleged bribery operation, and he said it is a “political prosecution” to hurt his 2025 campaign for reelection
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.The mayor of Mississippi's capital city said Wednesday that he has been indicted in an alleged bribery operation, and he said it is a “political prosecution” to hurt his 2025 campaign for reelection.
“My legal team has informed me that federal prosecutors have, in fact, indicted me on bribery and related charges,” Jackson Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba said in a video statement Wednesday, WJTV-TV and other news outlets reported. “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.”
Lumumba, a Democrat, has been mayor since 2017. An indictment was not immediately available Wednesday in federal court electronic records.
The charges come after undercover FBI agents posing as real estate investors invited the mayor to a fundraiser in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, on April 3, WLBT-TV reported. The agents said they wanted to develop property in downtown Jackson and help fund the mayor’s reelection campaign.
Jackson City Council member Angelique Lee, a Democrat, resigned in August and pleaded guilty to federal bribery charges as the result of the same FBI investigation.
Lumumba said his legal team will “vigorously defend me against these charges.”
“We believe this to be a political prosecution against me, primarily designed to destroy my credibility and reputation within the community," he said.
The Jackson City Council president, Virgi Lindsay, released a statement asking Jackson residents to be patient after the mayor's indictment, WAPT-TV reported.
“I remind myself that the presumption of innocence is a bedrock principle of our criminal justice system," said Lindsay, a Democrat. “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.”
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.