JACKSON, Miss. (WJTV) – Jackson Mayor Chokwe A. Lumumba addressed the ongoing bribery scandal on Monday.

This comes after Sherik Marve Smith was charged with conspiracy to commit bribery last week.

The mayor addressed allegations that he was one of the unidentified elected officials in the recently released court documents. Lumumba said he met Smith a couple of times, but he never conspired with him or anyone else to commit a crime.

“To be clear, with respect to any allegations or speculation on that, I have never conspired with anyone to commit a crime, and that’s the basis of it, and that’s all that I will share. There may come a time and place where I will expound on that at an appropriate moment,” Lumumba said.

Smith was the second person charged in connection to the bribery scandal. He pled guilty to the conspiracy to commit bribery charge and is expected to be sentenced on February 19, 2025.

His case is similar to the case that was brought against former Councilwoman Angelique Lee in August 2024. She resigned from the Jackson City Council after she was charged with conspiracy to commit bribery. Lee also pled guilty in the case, and her sentencing was continued to a later date.

Investigators said the FBI raided Lee’s home in May 2024. The Associated Press reported the seizure occurred on the same day agents raided the offices of Hinds County District Attorney Jody Owens and the downtown cigar shop that he owns.