Lumumba Resigns Amid Bribery Scandal | Hattiesburg News

Former Jackson Mayor Chokwe Lumumba has resigned from the Mississippi Bar amid a shocking bribery scandal that also ensnares ex-District Attorney Jody Owens and ex-Councilman Aaron Banks. The trio, along with Councilwoman Angelique Lee, pleaded guilty to conspiracy after allegedly accepting over $200K in bribes from undercover FBI agents posing as developers — in exchange for pushing through a downtown project. Owens acted as middleman, funneling cash to officials; Banks took $50K, Lee received $19K in cash and gifts; Lumumba allegedly manipulated city deadlines and accepted $50K in campaign checks during a private jet trip to Fort Lauderdale. Sentencing for others, including Lee and Sherik Marve Smith, is delayed as this unprecedented corruption case reshapes local politics. Listen in comfort:Get a discount on a Soli Pillow: http://solipillow.com/discount/dnn. Advertise on DNN:[email protected] This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.Report issues to [email protected]. View sources & latest updates:https://sources.thednn.ai/90987ebc3d102b9c