Mississippi mayor says he faces political investigation on bribery charges

Jackson, Miss. Mayor of Mississippi’s capital city He said Wednesday that he was indicted for alleged bribery and that it was a “political investigation” that would hurt his 2025 re-election campaign.

“My legal team has informed me that federal prosecutors have charged me with bribery and related charges,” Jackson Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba said in a video statement Wednesday. WJTV-TV and other news sources reported. “To be clear, I have never accepted bribes of any kind. “As mayor, I have always acted in the best interests of the city of Jackson.”

Democrat Lumumba has been mayor since 2017. An indictment was not immediately available in federal court electronic records Wednesday.

The charges came 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. Representatives said they want to develop property in downtown Jackson and help finance the mayor’s re-election campaign.

Jackson City Council member Angelique Leea Democrat, resigned in August and pleaded guilty to federal bribery charges as a result of the same FBI investigation.

Lumumba said his legal team “will vigorously defend me against these charges.”

“We believe this is a political investigation against me, designed primarily to destroy my credibility and reputation in the community,” he said.

Jackson City Council president Virgi Lindsay issued a statement asking Jackson residents to be patient following the mayor’s indictment. WAPT-TV reported.

“I remind myself that the presumption of innocence is a fundamental principle of our criminal justice system,” said Lindsay, a Democrat. “Therefore, I will continue to remain steadfastly focused on the work of our city council and trust that the legal system will evolve without any unwarranted comment from me.”