Lumumba files 3 campaign finance reports after having not done so since 2021

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Lumumba files 3 campaign finance reports after having not done so since 2021

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. The agents faked an interest in building a long sought-after downtown convention center hotel, submitting a bid for the city’s statement of qualifications, or SOQ, released on Jan. 31 for the project.

Lumumba allegedly accepted the bribes, disguised as five $10,000 “campaign contribution” checks, while aboard a yacht during a trip to Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. He took the trip 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 on April 5 and April 8.

Jackson Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba speaks during a press conference in Jackson on Monday, Jan. 27, 2025.

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 dated April 1.

According to the Mississippi Secretary of State’s

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Perinatal Services lists Owens and his wife, Michele Owens, as the registered officers. The address listed is 100 Inez Owens Drive.

$10,000 from Kevin J. May dated April 1.

It’s unclear how May is associated with the mayor. An address listed shows a South Jackson residence located at 225 Pearlie Owens Drive, which is near the street Owens listed as his address.

$10,000 from Smith dated April 1.

$10,000 from Karry L. Young dated March 28.

It’s also unclear how Young is associated with Lumumba. No address is listed on the report.

Jackson Spokesperson Melissa Payne said Lumumba is not giving any comments about the campaign finance reports nor will he confirm that the five contributions between March 28 and April 1 are the payments he received while in Florida.

In return for the $50,000, Lumumba allegedly called a city employee — while aboard the yacht with Owens and the undercover agents — and directed the employee to shorten a deadline for the convention center hotel’s SOQ to benefit the agents.

Unbeknownst to Lumumba and Owens, the yacht was rigged with recording equipment and the following exchange between the two was captured, according to court documents:

Owens: “We want to be very mindful of out-of-state money.”

Owens: “So what this team did was give us the money, being me, and we just filtered it through several accounts in a way we (are) comfortable doing.”

Owens: “So we did five $10,000 checks to make it very simple, and then we get past the process, to our second phase, maybe in Jackson, somewhere else… we’ll do something similar to make sure there’s no worries about you financially in this thing cause you’re as big (a) part of this thing as anybody.”

Below are the rest of the mayor’s 2024 contributions, according to his campaign finance report:

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.

Read the indictment: Jackson Bribery scandal: Mayor Lumumba, DA Owens, Councilman Banks plead not guilty

In total, the mayor collected $112,300 in 2024, while spending $42,276.90. That leaves Lumumba with $70,023.10 to spend.

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.

Lumumba filed the 2024, 2023 and 2022 reports on Jan. 31, which was the deadline to file the campaign finance reports for candidates running in Jackson’s 2025 municipal elections. The mayor qualified to run for a third term and is facing 22 other candidates who have qualified.

See the 2025 mayoral candidates: City Hall drama at the 11th hour: Lumumba announces his decision on running for mayor

The 2023 report

Lumumba received a total of $27,000 in contributions in 2023, while spending $13,550.66, according to the report.

A total of six contributions were made to Lumumba’s campaign in 2023:

Samuel Agnew — $10,000 dated Feb. 15, 2023.

Utility Constructors — $14,400.

This contribution was made in four payments dated between March and November 2023.

Brian K. Johnson — $2,100 dated between April and August 2023.

Metropolitan Bar and Grille — $2,500 dated June 21, 2023.

Terry Lovelace — $5,000 dated June 29, 2023.

MCAS LLC — $3,000 dated Sept. 17, 2023.

The 2022 report

In total, Lumumba received $22,000 in campaign contributions in 2022. He spent $17,198.

See Lumumba’s 2022 contributors below:

Terry Lovelace — $10,000.

Lovelace gave Lumumba two payments of $5,000 each. The first being on May 9, 2022; the second on Sept. 30, 2022.

Metropolitan Bar and Grille — $4,500.

The restaurant gave Lumumba two payments. The first for $2,500 on May 9, 2022 and the second for $2,000 on Aug. 22, 2022.

A3 Consulting — $2,500 dated May 9, 2022.

Brian Johnson — $2,000.

Johnson contributed in two payments. Each for $1,000 on June 1, 2022 and Aug. 30, 2022, respectively.

Utility Constructors — $3,000 dated Aug. 22, 2022.

This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger:

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