Jackson Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba has filed three campaign finance reports after failing to do so for the last three years. His last report was filed in 2021, though state law requires them to be filed annually.
Lumumba’s campaign finance reports are at the center of his federal indictment, which accuses him of accepting $50,000 in bribes from undercover FBI agents posing as out-of-town real estate developers.
Lumumba allegedly accepted the bribes, disguised as five $10,000 “campaign contribution” checks, during a trip to Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, he took between April 2 and April 4 with Hinds County District Attorney Jody Owens, Sherik Marve’ Smith, a local insurance specialist also caught up in the scandal and the undercover agents, according to court records. The indictment shows Lumumba deposited those checks on April 4 and withdrew some of the funds April 5 and April 8.
According to the mayor’s 2024 campaign finance report, Lumumba accepted five 10,000 contributions dated between March 28 and April 1, 2024. The five $10,000 contributions and the donors are below:
- $10,000 from Downtown Cigar Company LLC, which is owned by Owens, dated April 1.
- $10,000 from Perinatal Services PLLC, which lists Owens and Michelle Owens as the registered officers, dated April 1.
- $10,000 from Kevin J. May dated April 1.
- $10,000 from Smith dated April 1.
- $10,000 from Karry L. Young dated March 28.
In total, the mayor collected $112,300 in 2024, while spending $42,276.90. That leaves Lumumba with $70,023.10 to spend.
The rest of the mayor’s 2024 contributions:
- Brian Johnson — $1,000 dated Jan. 1.
- DMG Company LLC — $2,000 dated Jan. 25.
- JWAR Properties LLC — $30,000 dated Feb. 16.
- Terry Lovelace — $20,000 dated Feb. 31.
- Metropolitan Bar and Grille — $5,000 dated April 10.
- James Covington — $500 dated April 29.
- Friends of Nicholas Smith — $1,000 dated June 18.
- Mohammad Kasim Reed — $1,500, no date given.
- Citizens for Danny K. Davis — $300 dated, no date given.
- Larry Perry — $1,000 dated Aug. 18.
The Clarion Ledger obtained Lumumba’s three campaign finance reports from Municipal Clerk Angela Harris on Tuesday morning.
Jackson Spokesperson Melissa Payne was not immediately available for comment.
Lumumba pleaded not guilty to five federal charges stemming from the bribery scandal. Owens, as well as Ward 6 Councilman Aaron Banks, were also indicted and face bribery charges along with the mayor; they both pleaded not guilty to federal charges as well.
Smith, on the other hand, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bribery in October. His guilty plea follows former councilwoman Angelique Lee, who resigned from her position on the Jackson City Council then pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bribery in August.
A trial was set for Jan. 6, but has since been continued. Most recently, U.S. attorneys and defense lawyers have disagreed on new trial dates, with a potential of not having one until 2026.
