Hey folks, Clay Edwards here from Save Jackson. For years, since back in 2018, I've been warning about potential corruption and shady dealings involving former Jackson Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba. I called him out for what I saw as red flags, but I got labeled a racist, a hater, and worse—just for daring to suggest the so-called "crowned prince of Jackson" wasn't the saint everyone painted him to be. Well, new court documents unsealed this week—and quickly resealed—seem to back up what I've been saying all along. These come from the federal bribery case against Lumumba, former Councilman Aaron Banks, and DA Jody Owens, tied to a downtown hotel deal. Owens filed a motion claiming entrapment, attaching FBI reports from a confidential informant dating back to 2017. The allegations are explosive, focusing on Lumumba's alleged ties to drug dealers and unreported cash. According to the informant, Lumumba had close relationships with known traffickers, even helping them land city jobs and contracts. One dealer reportedly gave him a truck for his 2017 campaign and was eyeing city deals in return. The docs claim this individual had links to a Mexican drug cartel, laundering money through a Jackson nightclub that Lumumba allegedly visited 2-3 times a week, hanging out in the back room. It gets worse: The informant says Lumumba once called then-Police Chief James Davis to shut down an investigation into one of these associates after an assault in downtown Jackson. Officers were told to stand down. Then there's the cash—thousands unreported. In one instance, Lumumba allegedly got $30,000 in campaign funds through his brother Hondo that never showed up on reports. Another time, in May 2021, after a late-night card game in Edwards where he played and smoked marijuana with his bodyguard, he walked away with $15,000 in cash from someone who supposedly collected bribes from city contractors. Remember, Lumumba hasn't been charged on these specific claims yet, and informants can have motives like lighter sentences. But these FBI files paint a picture of deep corruption. The informant was connected to ex-Sheriff Marshand Crisler, who got prison time for bribery and gun charges. I've been predicting this fallout for years, and now the truth is bubbling up. If you're in Jackson, stay tuned—we deserve better. For more, check SaveJxn on X.
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12 min