The mayor of Mississippi’s capital city, the top prosecutor in the state’s largest county and a Jackson City Council member have been indicted on conspiracy and bribery charges. The case has already forced the resignation of another city council member. Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba, Hinds County District Attorney Jody Owens and Jackson City Council member Aaron B. Banks pleaded not guilty Thursday, hours after their indictments were unsealed. Prosecutors say two people working for the FBI posed as real estate developers wanting to build a hotel in downtown Jackson and provided illegal payments to officials.
