JACKSON, Miss. (WLBT) – Jackson City Council members and residents react to the latest indictment against Mayor Chowke Antar Lumumba, a continuation of the bribery case involving former Councilwoman Angelique Lee, who pleaded guilty in August to conspiracy to commit bribery .

“We need to distance ourselves from this as much as possible and just focus on people’s work,” Ward 5 Councilman Vernon Hartley said.

“There’s been a cloud over Jackson city government for several months now, but this really makes the cloud a lot darker,” said Ward 1 Councilman Ashby Foote.

Mayor Lumumba is currently facing an indictment by a federal grand jury in the same Jackson bribery case that led to the resignation of former councilwoman Angelique Lee.

Mayor Lumumba confirmed the news in a video statement on Wednesday and plans to fight these accusations.

“My legal team will vigorously defend me against these accusations,” Mayor Lumumba said.

According to Mississippi Today, the alleged bribery took place at a fundraiser in Fort Lauderdale, Florida; where undercover FBI agents posed as real estate investors looking to develop a property in downtown Jackson.

Some city leaders, like City Council President Virgi Lindsay, plan to support the Mayor until more information becomes available.

“An indictment is not an admission of guilt and the person is innocent until proven guilty,” Lindsay said.

A Jackson resident talks about the need for more trust to move the city forward.

“We want things to continue to move in a positive direction and to have someone reliable that we can believe in, come back to and trust the city of Jackson again. That’s it,” Justin Phipps said.

Councilman Vernon Hartley agrees.

“What we need to do is focus on the things that people ask me all the time every day at the grocery store and the gas station and other things, and that’s for us to take care of those issues. I always understand that, and you want us to focus on the issues, so we have to do it in a way that inspires trust,” he said. Hartley.

Council member Ashby Foote echoes the same sentiment about regaining trust within the community and believes it needs to start now.

“The rules that are set at the state level, the city level, the federal level follow those rules and stay within the boundaries so that citizens and citizens know what’s going on and helps educate them throughout the process. “So they can rebuild the trust and the people that serve them at the city level,” Foote said.

Mayor Lumumba is expected to appear in federal court on Thursday.

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