Current:Home > FinanceMississippi mayor says he faces political prosecution with bribery charges-InfoLens
Mississippi mayor says he faces political prosecution with bribery charges
View Date:2024-12-23 11:39:07
JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — The mayor of Mississippi’s capital city said Wednesday that he has been indicted in an alleged bribery operation, and he said it is a “political prosecution” to hurt his 2025 campaign for reelection.
“My legal team has informed me 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 outlets reported. “To be clear, I have never accepted a bribe of any type. 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 Wednesday in federal court electronic records.
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 property in downtown Jackson and help fund the mayor’s reelection campaign.
Jackson City Council member Angelique Lee, a Democrat, resigned in August and pleaded guilty to federal bribery charges as the result of the same FBI investigation.
Lumumba said his legal team will “vigorously defend me against these charges.”
“We believe this to be a political prosecution against me, primarily designed to destroy my credibility and reputation within the community,” he said.
The Jackson City Council president, Virgi Lindsay, released a statement asking Jackson residents to be patient after the mayor’s indictment, WAPT-TV reported.
“I remind myself that the presumption of innocence is a bedrock 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 the legal system to unfold without undue commentary from me.”
veryGood! (65)
Related
- South Carolina to take a break from executions for the holidays
- Tennis star Rosemary Casals, who fought for equal pay for women, reflects on progress made
- Luis Rubiales, Spain's soccer federation boss, faces sexual assault lawsuit for Jenni Hermoso kiss
- Texas surges higher and Alabama tumbles as Georgia holds No. 1 in the US LBM Coaches Poll
- Dramatic video shows Phoenix police rescue, pull man from car submerged in pool: Watch
- Escaped killer Danelo Cavalcante eludes police perimeter, manhunt intensifies: Live updates
- Horoscopes Today, September 9, 2023
- Panda Express unveils new 'Chili Crisp Shrimp' entrée available until end of 2023
- Inflation ticked up in October, CPI report shows. What happens next with interest rates?
- Turkey cave rescue of American Mark Dickey like Himalayan Mountain climbing underground, friend says
Ranking
- He failed as a service dog. But that didn't stop him from joining the police force
- Michigan State football coach Mel Tucker suspended without pay amid sexual misconduct investigation
- This Best-Selling Earbud Cleaning Pen Has 16,000+ 5-Star Amazon Reviews & It's on Sale
- New Mexico governor issues emergency order to suspend open, concealed carry of guns in Albuquerque
- ‘I got my life back.’ Veterans with PTSD making progress thanks to service dog program
- Virginia governor pardons man whose arrest at a school board meeting galvanized conservatives
- Hawaii volcano Kilauea erupts after nearly two months of quiet
- Lauren Groff has a go bag and says so should you
Recommendation
-
Early Week 11 fantasy football rankings: 30 risers and fallers
-
Panda Express unveils new 'Chili Crisp Shrimp' entrée available until end of 2023
-
New Mexico governor issues emergency order to suspend open, concealed carry of guns in Albuquerque
-
What to know about the Morocco earthquake and the efforts to help
-
Diamond Sports Group will offer single-game pricing to stream NBA and NHL games starting next month
-
Maldives presidential runoff is set for Sept. 30 with pro-China opposition in a surprise lead
-
Montana park partially closed as authorities search for grizzly bear that mauled hunter
-
UK leader Sunak chides China after report a UK Parliament staffer is a suspected Beijing spy