Former Jackson Mayor and Council President Plead Guilty

Former Jackson, Mississippi, Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba and former City Council President Aaron Banks pleaded guilty on Monday, July 6, 2026, to a federal conspiracy charge related to a bribery scheme. Their pleas came one week before their scheduled trial and followed the guilty plea last week of former Hinds County District Attorney Jody Owens.

The three men, all Democrats, were indicted in November 2024. The charges stemmed from an FBI sting operation in which agents posed as real estate developers from Nashville seeking approval for a multimillion-dollar hotel development project in downtown Jackson. According to the indictment, Owens solicited and accepted at least $115,000 from the undercover agents. He then facilitated more than $80,000 in bribe payments to Lumumba, Banks, and former City Council Vice President Angelique Lee in exchange for their official actions to greenlight the project.

Lumumba, who served as mayor from 2017 to 2025, accepted $50,000 in payments disguised as campaign contributions. The indictment alleged he understood the money was offered in exchange for his support of the development. He had previously called the prosecution a political attack....