Multiple Mississippi elected officials indicted in federal bribery investigation

07 November 2024

Several top elected officials in Mississippi's most populous county are now all defendants in a federal bribery probe.

HuffPost reporter Sam Levine tweeted an announcement from the Department of Justice, stating that an indictment was unsealed in U.S. District Court in the Southern District of Mississippi in which three high-profile officials have officially been charged with "participating in a bribery scheme to enrich themselves." According to the indictment, Jackson, Mississippi Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba, Hinds County District Attorney Jody Owens and Jackson city council member (and former council president) Aaron Banks are all named as defendants. Mayor Lumumba confirmed his indictment to local NBC affiliate WLBT on Wednesday.

The indictment alleges that Jackson’s mayor, the district attorney in Jackson and members of Jackson’s city council conspired to accept bribes in exchange for official acts benefiting purported real estate developers,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, who heads the DOJ's Criminal Division. “Officials who abuse their positions of authority to enrich themselves undermine public confidence in government. The Justice Department is committed to restoring that confidence by working with its law enforcement partners to investigate and prosecute public corruption.”

DOJ investigators reportedly set up a sting operation to convince Lumumba, Owens and Banks to accept bribes from investigators, who posed as real estate developers promising kickbacks in exchange for approval of their proposed projects. The bribes were then disguised as $10,000 campaign contributions "from third-party entities and individuals." In Lumumba's case, the DOJ noted he "then laundered that money through his campaign account before cashing out a portion of the payment."

This scheme also previously ensnared former Jackson City Council member Angelique Lee. She was duped by investigators promising her "a $10,000 debt repayment, $3,000 in cash, and a shopping trip worth approximately $6,000 in luxury goods in exchange for her votes in support of the Developers’ proposed development project in downtown Jackson."

On Thursday, several Jackson City Council members reacted to the indictments, saying that the city's elected officials had to earn back the trust of the community after news of the scandal broke.

"We have to provide an atmosphere where the people can trust that not only are we taking care of our issues, day-by-day things they call in about, but also that we're trying to sustain a good reputation at the same time," Ward 5 councilman Vernon Hartley told ABC affiliate WAPT.

"This is really just a huge story that casts a dark shadow on city government," Ward 1 council member Ashby Foote said. "It's going to be even harder to manage city government because of the uncertainty this has brought, this brings to the table. So, we're just going to have to work hard and do everything we can to restore confidence, and that means following all the rules and dotting all the i's, crossing all the 'ts' and staying in our lane and doing it by the book."

Each official charged in the indictment faces multiple felony charges carrying lengthy maximum prison sentences. Mayor Lumumba faces the most serious charges, which include honest service wire fraud, money laundering and using a facility in interstate commerce in furtherance of unlawful activity. Lumumba could serve up to 20 years in prison on each individual charge if convicted.

Click here to read the DOJ's full statement.

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