The City of Jackson’s leader for the past seven years, Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba announced Wednesday afternoon that he has been indicted on federal bribery charges, calling it a “political prosecution.”
Lumumba, 41, has served as mayor during multiple crises in the struggling city, including the potential state takeover of the Jackson Public School District in 2017, the 2020 flooding of the Pearl River, the 2021 water crisis and the 2023 trash crisis. On Wednesday, Lumumba released a video statement announcing his indictment:
“Jackson residents, it is with great disappointment that I come before you. My legal team has informed me that federal prosecutors have, in fact, indicted me on bribery and related charges. To be clear, I have never accepted a bribe of any type. As mayor, I have always acted in the best interest of the citizens of Jackson. We believe this to be a political prosecution against me, primarily designed to destroy my credibility and reputation within the community. There is no coincidence, and its timing being just before the upcoming mayoral race. My legal team will vigorously defend me against these charges. Again, while I am disappointed, I am not deterred, so I ask for your patience and your prayers during this process. Thank you.”
Lumumba’s announcement comes just over two weeks after he dodged questions about his involvement in Jackson’s bribery scandal. During an Oct. 21 press conference, Lumumba repeated the phrase, “I have never conspired with anyone to commit a crime,” to multiple questions. The mayor did admit to meeting the second conspirator to fall in the scandal, Sherik Marve’ Smith, a local insurance specialist, on more than one occasion.
On Oct. 17, Smith pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bribery. Prosecutors said Smith and an “Unindicted Co-conspirator A” helped to facilitate bribes to two Jackson elected officials, known as “Unindicted Co-conspirator B” and “Unindicted Co-conspirator C,” from two Nashville real estate developers who were actually undercover FBI agents.
The mayor’s announcement reveals he is “Unindicted Co-conspirator C.” Court documents show on April 2 Lumumba directed a city employee to move up a deadline for the city’s long sought-after hotel project across the street from the Jackson Convention Complex. Lumumba agreed to move the deadline after accepting $10,000 for his “reelection committee” on April 1, which was given to him as a check from Smith to hide the real source of the funding — the undercover FBI agents.
Mississippi statute states only the mayor has the power to direct city employees.
Jackson has been aiming to build the hotel project since the mid-2000s. Most recently, the city put out a statement of qualifications, or SOQ, for the project on Jan. 31.
For “Unindicted Co-conspirator B,” the undercover agents’ bribes were in exchange for a vote for the agents phony development company that was bidding on the SOQ. In total, “Unindicted Co-conspirator B” accepted $10,000 cash, driver services and an employment opportunity for a family member that would work for “Unindicted Co-conspirator A.”
The identity of “Unindicted Co-conspirator B” has yet to be revealed. But Ward 7 Councilwoman and Council President Virgi Lindsay previously confirmed that only a member of the Jackson City Council has the power to cast votes for developments.
News of the FBI’s investigation into Jackson kicked off back in May when Hinds County District Attorney Jody Owens businesses and office were raided by agents. After the raids, Lumumba said during a May 28 press conference, “I have no information whatsoever on the District Attorney or anybody else.”
Three months later, in August, former Ward 2 Councilwoman Angelique Lee resigned then pleaded guilty to a conspiracy to commit bribery charge. Lee accepted nearly $20,000 in bribes, also from two undercover FBI agents posed as Nashville developers.
It’s unclear if Lumumba will resign as mayor. He is on the tail end of his second term, which ends on July 1, 2025.
A look at Lumumba’s time in office
A champion of equity and community, Lumumba was first elected as mayor in 2017 with 55.14% of the vote. A Democrat, he is the youngest person to be elected as Jackson’s mayor. He won reelection in 2021 after a blowout victory, receiving 69.23% of the vote. His federal indictment comes weeks after Lumumba again announced his intention to seek reelection in 2025.
A notable achievement of his time as mayor is his effort in lobbying the Biden-Harris Administration for a historic $600 million federal investment to repair Jackson’s long troubled water system, which is currently under a federal mandate. Lumumba’s administration also successfully sued Siemens Industry Inc., the company hired in 2012 to overhaul Jackson’s water meter and billing systems. But instead of saving money as promised, the $91 million contract with Siemens — the largest in Jackson’s history — led to widespread billing issues and thousands of faulty water meters. In 2020, Siemens settled with the city for $89 million.
Four years later, and after the 2021 water crisis that left the 150,000 population in Jackson without water for weeks, the water system, sewers, meters and billing system are now controlled by federally appointed Third-Party Water Manager Ted Henifin. Originally a supporter of Henifin, Lumumba has reversed course, becoming one of Henifin’s most vocal critics in the past two years. He has publicly voiced concerns over areas where he sees Henifin and his company, JXN Water, failing. Those failures, he has said, include their communication and transparency with the city and residents, some of their construction work and bill collection efforts, among others.
Lumumba also credits his administration for paving more roads, repairing more bridges and securing more funding for infrastructure than any other “in Jackson’s history,” as well as helping JPS avoid a state takeover in 2017.
But his time as mayor is also marked by multiple confrontations between the City of Jackson and the Mississippi Legislature. Evidence of this can been seen by the state’s numerous attempts, and the city’s responses, to wrest control over some of the Jackson’ largest assets, including the water system, the airport, the courts, police jurisdictions and, most recently, Smith-Wills Stadium. Many of these have seen legal action commence between the city and the state.
In his most recent “State of the City” address in October, Lumumba said he “welcomes a renewed relationship” with the state but vowed to continue fighting the multiple takeover attempts.
Lumumba’s 2024 “State of the City”:Lumumba touts successes during the mayor’s annual ‘State of the City’ address
City vs State:‘We’re as diplomatic as our options are’: Lumumba speaks on city, state relationship
“We want to embrace a spirit of operational unity where we focus more on our common ends and objectives than any differences we may have. However, we simply cannot surrender our assets and resources of our city that permit us to survive,” he said.
State leaders assert their involvement in Jackson is a necessary step to attract more people and move the city forward.
Not only has Lumumba seen conflict with state leaders, he has also been in beefs with members of the Jackson City Council. Most recently, the mayor and the council went back-and-forth for nearly two years over Lumumba’s selection of a garbage company for a long-term contract. The disagreement led to the council voting against Lumumba’s selection of Richard’s Disposal Inc. for a long-term contract, halting garbage pick-up for Jacksonians as trash piled on the streets for over two weeks in April 2023.
After the 17-day trash crisis, a compromise was reached which granted a one-year emergency contract with Richard’s. For the rest of the year and the first couple of months of 2024, Lumumba and the council continued to debate on which garbage company was best for a long-term contract. In March 2024, Lumumba again picked Richard’s for the contract, saying out of the two companies who responded to the request for proposal’s, Richard’s was the most qualified. In a 4-3 vote, the council officially approved Richard’s for a six-year, $64 million contract in March.
Jackson’s trash crisis:City Council votes on a long-term garbage contract with Richard’s Disposal. See what happened
Lumumba’s secret recording:Lumumba stands by comments that water takeover is effort to make Jackson ‘no longer Black’
Lumumba’s mayoral stint followed his father’s, Chokwe Lumumba, who was elected as Ward 2’s councilman in 2009, then as Jackson’s mayor in 2013. His father’s term, which Lumumba advised, would be cut short after he unexpectedly died in office in 2014. Lumumba ran to replace him in 2014, but he lost to Tony Yarber in a runoff.
Both of Lumumba’s parents, Chokwe and Nubia, were involved in Black nationalist politics during the 1960s and 1970s, with his father being elected as the second vice president of the Republic of New Afrika organization in 1971. His father was a part of the decision to move the provisional government of the Republic of New Afrika to Hinds County in March 1971.
Born on March 29, 1983, Lumumba is a product of the Jackson Public School District, graduating from Callaway High School. He received his Bachelor of Arts degree at HBCU Tuskegee University in Alabama, then a Juris Doctorate and a Certificate in Sports & Entertainment Law at Thurgood Marshall School of Law in Houston. From there, he joined Jackson-based Freelon & Associates becomig the firm’s managing partner. In 2013, he rebranded the firm to Lumumba & Associates.
Together with his wife, Ebony, Lumumba has two daughters: Alake’ and Nubia. Ebony is an associate professor of English at Jackson State University and serves as department chair. Lumumba’s sister, Rukia, is also executive director of the People’s Advocacy Institute, and is associated with many other local activist groups.
