Jackson Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba pleaded not guilty to five felony charges against him for his alleged role in the Jackson bribery scandal after announcing his indictment in a video statement Wednesday.

Lumumba appeared at the Thad Cochran United States Courthouse at 1:30 p.m. Thursday to plead not guilty. He was joined by Hinds County District Attorney Jody Owens and District 6 Councilman Aaron Banks, who were also allegedly involved in the scandal. Owens and Banks also pleaded not guilty.

Lumumba’s lawyer, Thomas Bellinder, said: “My client objects to the sufficiency of the indictment.”

If convicted, Lumumba could face up to 70 years in prison and a fine of up to $1.5 million.

Lumumba described the indictment as a “political prosecution” in his video statement. Also read:

“Residents of Jackson, I appear before you with great disappointment. My legal team has informed me that federal prosecutors have indicted me on bribery and related charges. To be clear, I have never accepted bribes of any kind. As mayor, I have always acted in the best interest of the citizens of Jackson We believe this is a political investigation against me, designed primarily to destroy my credibility and reputation in the community. While I am again disappointed, my legal team will vigorously defend me against these accusations just before the upcoming mayoral race. “I do.”

Lumumba’s announcement comes in just over two weeks avoided questions About Jackson’s involvement in the bribery scandal. “I have never conspired with anyone to commit a crime,” Lumumba repeated to many questions at a press conference on October 21. The mayor admitted to meeting the second co-conspirator in the scandal, Sherik Marve’ Smith, on more than one occasion.

Lumumba, who is expected to appear in federal court on Thursday, becomes the latest Jackson elected official to be embroiled in a bribery scandal, joining former 2nd Ward Councilwoman Angelique Lee. Lee pleaded guilty in August to conspiracy to commit bribery after accepting bribes from two undercover FBI agents posing as Nashville real estate developers. The former councilman received nearly $20,000 in bribes in exchange for voting in favor of a bogus real estate company undercover FBI agents for a city hotel project and blocking roads to advance the project.

The undercover FBI agents are known in court documents as “Individual 1” and “Individual 2.”

Lumumba is one of two Jackson elected officials implicated in the scandal. The second official is known as “Unalleged Collaborator B,” who took bribes in exchange for votes for his company of undercover FBI agents, just as Lee did, according to court documents. Ward 7 Councilwoman and Council President Virgi Lindsay previously confirmed that only Jackson City Council members have the authority to vote in favor of development projects.

The involvement of two other Jackson officials was revealed on Oct. 17, when Smith, a local insurance expert, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bribery. Smith’s affidavit states that he and “Uncharged Collaborator A” agreed to provide “cash payments and campaign contributions to Uncharged Collaborator B and Uncharged Collaborator C” from two undercover FBI agents posing as Nashville real estate developers. .

Lumumba’s indictment identifies him as “Uncharged Co-Conspirator C.” All that is known about “Uncharged Co-conspirator A” is that they reside in Hinds County.

Court documents show that on April 2, Lumumba directed a city employee to delay the deadline for the city’s long-sought-after hotel project across from the Jackson Convention Complex. Lumumba agreed to postpone the deadline for the “re-election committee” on April 1 after accepting $10,000 given to him as a check from Smith to conceal the true source of the funding – the Nashville “developers”.

Lumumba called and directed the city employee while sitting in a private room on a yacht with Owens and undercover agents in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. The indictment shows a photo of Lumumba making a phone call next to Owens.

After referring the employee, Lumumba was allegedly given five $10,000 checks as “campaign contributions.” In another photo, Lumumba is seen holding an envelope and talking to Owens. He then went with Owens and the managers to a local club, where Owens instructed the managers to provide cash for Lumumba to use at the club. Lumumba is also alleged to have told managers to pay club staff in cash for his benefit.

The city has been aiming to build the hotel since the mid-2000s, according to previous statements from Jackson spokeswoman Melissa Payne. The most recent initiative was on January 31, when the municipality issued a statement of qualifications (SOQ) for the project.

A total of three companies bid for SOQ, according to a public records request obtained by the Clarion Ledger in August. One of the companies is called Facilities Solutions Team, which was created by Hinds County District Attorney Jody Owens in March. Two months later, on May 22, Owens’ workplace and offices raided A tour of Jackson City Hall was also organized by the FBI.

Following the raids, Lumumba said at a press conference on May 28, “I have no information about the District Attorney or anyone else.”

Owens said in a statement through his attorney in August after Lee’s conviction that he was talking to out-of-town developers about “the possibility of building a convention center hotel in Jackson.”

Owens’ statement reads: “He believed them and after many meetings agreed to help them. They turned out to be FBI agents.” “Given this state of the investigation, I don’t think it’s appropriate to say anything else at this point.”

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 Councilman and Council President Virgi Lindsay, He also said that they met with out-of-town developers. Ward 4 Councilman Brian Grizzell said he met a developer in passing; Ward 3 Councilman Kenneth Stokes said he may have received a call. All of them denied accepting bribes, and none could confirm whether they were the agents who bribed Lee. Ward 6 Councilman Aaron Banks did not respond to repeated requests for comment about the bribery scandal or whether he had met with the developers.

What all individual council member meetings have in common is that they were organized by Prosecutor Owens.

Jackson City Council president releases statement

Following Lumumba’s announcement, Ward 7 Alderman and Council President Virgi Lindsay released a statement to the Clarion Ledger:

“As City Council President, I treat the federal indictment of Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba with seriousness and responsibility,” Lindsay said.

“My purpose here is to speak directly to the people of the City of Jackson. I know that you are patient, open-minded, and empathetic, especially in times of pressure. I remind myself that the presumption of innocence is a fundamental principle of life. Therefore, I will continue to remain steadfastly focused on the work of our City Council and ensure that the legal system does not require unnecessary comment from me.” I will trust that it will not come, but I will share relevant information with you as appropriate, our collective strength to improve.”

Will Lumumba resign?

Given Lumumba’s role in the bribery scandal, it is unclear whether he will resign as mayor; it’s a role he’s held since he was first elected in 2017. The mayor is nearing the end of his second term in office, which ends July 1, 2025. .

In February Lumumba announced his intention to run a third term. HE repeated this early October. But after Smith pleaded guilty on Oct. 17, the Clarion Ledger asked the mayor if the upcoming indictment would affect his plans to run for a third term. Lumumba did not make a clear statement, only referring to his statement on October 21, “I did not conspire with anyone to commit a crime.”

A special election had already been held when Lee pleaded guilty in August. In October, Tina Clay was elected to fill the Ward 2 seat on the council. Councilman Clay attended his first council meeting on Tuesday.

This article first appeared in the Mississippi Clarion Ledger: MS bribery scandal: Jackson Mayor Lumumba charged with bribery by Justice Department