Mississippi Councilwoman Resigns Hours Before Federal Indictment On Bribery

On the same day of her resignation, Lee was indicted on federal charges of bribery.

Jackson City Council now faces a special election after Councilwoman Angelique Lee abruptly resigned on Aug. 14. The Mississippi lawmaker left the role hours before her indictment on federal bribery charges.

Lee turned in her resignation letter Wednesday morning. She remained mum about why she was suddenly leaving the role she had held since 2020.

“Circumstances that I am not at liberty to discuss at the moment, have led to this decision,” Lee said in her resignation letter, obtained by the Mississippi Free Press. “I will greatly miss working with each of you, and I am proud of the work we have done as a collective body for the City of Jackson and its citizens.”

She added, “It has been my tremendous honor to serve the constituents of Ward 2 and the people of the City of Jackson as a whole. I would like to personally extend my gratitude to all of my neighborhood association presidents for all of their support and prayers throughout my tenure.”

According to the Associated Press, federal officials accused Lee of accepting bribes from two undercover FBI agents. The court documents allege that Lee agreed to vote on the agents’ real estate developments in February and March. She reportedly received $3,000 in cash and a $10,000 payment to alleviate some of her campaign debt.

The former councilwoman has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bribery. If convicted, Lee faces up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

Following the news of her abrupt departure, Jackson’s Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba, released a statement of support for Lee.

“On behalf of the entire city, I want to express my deep gratitude for her service and dedication. We will miss her leadership on the council, but we know she will continue to be a passionate advocate for our community in other ways,” expressed the mayor. “The process to fill the vacancy on the City Council will begin immediately, and I encourage all interested and qualified individuals to consider serving in this important role.”

As Lee’s legal battle begins, Jackson residents will vote on her replacement in a special election within the next 30 to 45 days.