Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba of Jackson, Mississippi’s capital and largest city, announced an indictment on federal corruption charges, and activist Rukia Lumumba is urging people to pay attention to what’s actually going on.
Rukia is the daughter of civil rights activist and former Jackson Mayor Chokwe Lumumba, as well as the sister of current Mayor Chokwe Antar.
A grand jury indicted Lumumba in April after FBI agents acting as real estate speculators invited him to a fundraiser in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, according to Mississippi Today. 3. The agents cited their desire to develop property in downtown Jackson across from the convention center and contribute to the mayor’s 2025 reelection campaign.
The lot has remained abandoned for years, following two decades of unsuccessful bids and political chaos.
In a video statement, the mayor vowed that he “never accepted a bribe of any type.” “My legal team has informed me that federal prosecutors have indicted me on bribery and related charges,” he said.
“As mayor, I have always acted in the best interests of the citizens of Jackson.”
Only a few days have passed since Mayor Lumumba received recognition in the National Civil Rights Hall of Fame.
Rukia, a former campaign manager for the Committee to Elect Chokwe Antar Lumumba, believes people should “wake up” in light of the claims.
Court filings show that the agency enlisted the assistance of Jody Owens, an unknowing Hinds County District Attorney who is passionate about real estate and business consultancy. They subsequently founded the Facility Solutions Team (FST), expecting Owens would make political contributions to the mayor on their behalf.
Working with Owens, the undercover feds developed a plan in early 2024 to respond to the city’s Statement of Qualifications (SOQ), a document that explains the city’s needs and piques investors’ interest. However, this plan does not guarantee a contract with the city. According to federal court records, Lumumba’s official act was to tell a city employee to move the SOQ deadline to an earlier date. For the government to establish a bribe or “quid pro quo,” a public official must formally agree to perform an official act in exchange for the benefit.
The mayor had already spoken with Jhai Keeton, the city’s Planning and Development Director, to determine when the bid should stop. They had planned to prolong it for nearly a month and a half in late February 2024. Keaton first stated that FST was the sole developer who had shown interest in the project, and he wanted to give developers more time to respond.
When the mayor was in Florida, he called Keeton and asked him to move the date back to April 16. The director didn’t think much of it because Lumumba had already stated, “We don’t want to lose anyone we’ve got, and we’re hoping to get new people.”
The Clarion-Ledger reports that Lumumba, along with former Ward 2 Councilwoman Angelique Lee, will appear before a federal judge on Nov. 7.