In a recently rediscovered example of Democrat corruption, Jackson, Mississippi, Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba, a self-described “radical”, along with Hinds County DA Jody Owens, and Councilman Aaron Banks have been hit with federal bribery charges. The allegedly corrupt politicians were caught in a hotel development sting by FBI agents posing as developers, where Lumumba and his allies reportedly accepted bribes, including $50,000 for the mayor’s campaign.
For context, even though this scandal happened last year, it highlights the lurking corruption in Democrat run cities and erodes the DNC’s credibility on the national stage. Trump has often found himself fending off Democrat mayors, and Lumumba’s brother has made a number of anti-Trump comments.
Reacting to the indictment, the disgraced mayor maintained his innocence. He declared, “I am not guilty, and so I will not proceed as a guilty man.” Similarly, another one of the accused, Hinds County District Attorney Jody Owens, claimed, “We think the truth has to come out, that cherry-picked statements of drunken, locker-room banter is not a crime.” Adding to the scandal, Rukia Lumumba, the mayor’s brother, whined, “First Trump wins, now they are trying to indict my brother.”
However, City Council member Kenneth Stokes was having none of these excuses and fired back with an epic retort. He stated, “You’re drinking dirty water. You can’t get your streets paved. You already lost trust,” adding, “Do not say you are running for office to help people when you’re trying to help yourself.”
Reacting to the case in an official filing from the DOJ, Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri explained the case. She said, “The indictment alleges that Jackson’s mayor, the district attorney in Jackson, and members of Jackson’s city council conspired to accept bribes in exchange for official acts benefiting purported real estate developers.”
Building her argument, the head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division added, “Officials who abuse their positions of authority to enrich themselves undermine public confidence in government. The Justice Department is committed to restoring that confidence by working with its law enforcement partners to investigate and prosecute public corruption.”
Agreeing, U.S. Attorney Todd Gee slammed these leaders for allegedly violating the public’s trust. Gee explained, “Leaders who are awarded the public’s trust should be focusing on the needs of the Jackson community, not looking to line their own pockets and benefit themselves.”
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Still not done, he said, “As alleged in the indictment, from campaign donations generated through laundered money to stacks of cash bribes, the members of this conspiracy allegedly offered and accepted bribes in exchange for official acts. The Justice Department is committed to investigating and prosecuting bribery and other forms of public corruption.”
Concluding the DOJ document, FBI Assistant Director Chad Yarbrough stated, “Our citizens are entitled to decisions based on the best interests of the public, not corrupt public officials.” Continuing, he added, “No one is above the law, and the FBI is committed to ensuring that those who cross the line and violate the public’s trust are held accountable for their unlawful actions.”