Mississippi’s mayor says he faces political prosecution over bribery charges

JACKSON, ma’am. (AP) — The mayor of the capital of Mississippi said Wednesday that he has been indicted in an alleged bribery operation, saying it is a “political persecution” aimed at damaging his 2025 re-election campaign.

“I have been informed by my legal team 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 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.”

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

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 real estate in downtown Jackson and help finance the mayor’s re-election campaign.

Member of the Jackson City Council Angelica Leea Democrat, resigned in August and pleaded guilty to federal bribery charges stemming from the same FBI investigation.

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

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

Jackson City Council President Virgi Lindsay released 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 remain steadfastly focused on the work of our City Council, and trust that the justice system will unfold without unnecessary commentary from me.”