Much was made in the media last week about the FBI executing search warrants on Hinds County District Attorney Jody Owens and his downtown cigar bar. However, other warrants were executed as well.
Mr. Owens has another office in the office building at 200 North Congress Street. The FBI showed up a week ago and executed the same search warrant on his office.
The FBI also seized the phones of Jackson City Council members Aaron Banks and Angelique Lee.
Stay tuned. There is undoubtedly more to come. Needless to say, the rumor mill is working so hard OSHA might investigate it.
60 comments:
Working hard and OSHA comment. Very clever KF. I’m stealing that one.
I smell graft-
Probably won't be all that long before we start getting hints of a federal grand jury taking a look at this.
WE can only hope & pray that Chokwad is also one of the targets of those search warrants.
It's about damn time.
I'm disappointed, only three folks so far - Owens, Banks and Lee??? Surely that stop by City Hall could have netted a few more phones or computers.
“It gets curioser and curioser….”
I wish they'd unseal the court records so we would know what is going on. I'm sure we will find out eventually when it goes to trial or there is a plea, but moving at the speed of federal government, that will take 2-3 years minimum.
Where was Shad on this? This should have been low-hanging fruit for him.
i thought owens had a office on the 5th floor of the hinds county courthouse.
Shad is a prosecutor? Where does Shad have jurisdiction in any of this?
This sounds like the beginning of putting the squeeze on Chok.
Optimistic that this is the start of a wide-sweeping crackdown on and indictment of the criminals "serving" the public interests.
Who will be surprised if at least one of the local con-profits ends up exposed as a
participant in the greasing and grifting counts in the upcoming indictments?
Last week in the comment chain (Saturday post) someone made a comment about Ashby Foote being upset about not being involved in back room discussions but I thought the obvious candidate would be Lee.
11:41 AM
Nobody on this site except the usual suspect who will feign outrage.
Wasn't Banks the city council member who caved & awarded the garbage contract to Richard's Disposal? What did it take for him to do that?
It is likely that a dedicated federal grand jury has already been convened for this investigation.
Madison Co. supervisors next? Hoping and praying.
does the county pay the rent on his ''other'' office?
Even the Mayor's good friend, Mr.Fomby, could not help him on this one because he has recently retired. Without a heads up he didn't have time to get the retrieved hidden items in his office and flush all into the Pearl River. Maybe someone will enforce the law without fear or favor in this very serious matter.
''another office''....is this other office for another side hustle?
There's no way the mayor is going to ride this out unscathed. The Richard's garbage contract fiasco, which led to a suspension of service for a full 18 days, was likely the last straw. You can bet there's been plenty of coordination among the FBI field offices in Jackson, New Orleans, and Baton Rouge.
Where is Bill D on this?
Day by day it seems less likely "that you have to engage in wild, unsupported speculation to see any wrongdoing here".
Unless you are blind, or don't want to see.
If Shad had done his job and investigated the use of COJ/Hinds county funds, this would have been quickly discovered. Willful ignorance!
What part of Shad can not investigate municipalities under state law do you not get? File a very specific complaint and he might get to do something. He can't just go in and audit because he thinks something is amiss.
Since wild guesses are all we have at this point, I will surmise that the early targets are those who can inform and become federal witnesses against yet-to-be-named targets. The feds can offer immunity deals if they choose, and that can be a sweet deal for someone who can provide evidence against the big target.
Federal grand jury probably empaneled on the coast to keep it away from the folks in jackson ….and nola tentacles with Richard’s interesting too….nola has its own problems with their mayor and graft….should be interesting
During the garbage contract debacle, a blind person could see the mayor and several council persons were on the take. Councilman Banks fought the good fight until the end when the mayor once again left the council with only two options: approve Richards Disposal or else— the city goes without trash pickup AGAIN. I really thought that was the only reason Banks voted to approve. If greed got the better of him, he should pay the price just like the rest of them.
If the mayor escapes consequences for his corruption, there truly is no justice.
The federal government hates corrupt local governments. They really dislike the competition.
Get off your knees, KF. Do Shad and Josh really send you that much in advertising dollars?
Shad can investigate if someone makes a complaint to the office. However, if public funds are involved, typically the feds will join forces with the Shad to investigate the issues under a formed task force.
May 29, 2024 at 12:43 PM, look, you should move on. I can understand your anger at Mr. White, but she chose him, and not you. That has been years ago, you should let go, and move on.
10:37. "graft"
Is that the pre-tense or post-tense of "grift"?
Banks arrested for driving around drunk, and Lee arrested for driving around stoned - it figures. This is some city council we've got here.
What KF?
"He can't just go in and audit because he thinks something is amiss."
I thought that's exactly what "auditors" were employed to do....that's how it works in every other organization or circumstance I can think of.
What part of that is state law do you not get?
Don't like it? Get the law changed. Of course, MML is going to fight it every step of the way.
This being done on Biden watch. I'm shocked! Must be a really big deal so close to the election. This gives me something to look forward to. The moment I get outta bed I check the Kingfish website.
You can hate him all you want, the mayor’s hands are clean!
Can't wait until all the rats start deserting this sinking ship. Going to be some interesting names called.
Well, 5:02, you're not nearly as entertaining as the Lumumba toady who shows up gassing about how rich and powerful and well-connected the Lumumba family is, but I guess you'll have to do today.
5:02
Come on Sis ! We all know you are the conduit for the payoffs!
5:02 PM
Thanks for the laugh Rukia/"Doctor" Safiya
@5:02 PM - Rukia, thanks for checking in and pay your taxes!
Thanks for the update, Kingfish. This is interesting. So a second office (had no idea a DA could have two offices) and the phones of two city council members. I know who I wish they were going after. But who knows. Excellent job, Kingfish. Really appreciate all the work you do.
... the mayor’s hands are clean!
Makes sense since he's never worked a day in his life.
FBI & Feds punishment will be much better than State or County could ever hope. plus Feds don’t honor Catch & Release programs!
The feds do have a catch and release program, it just runs differently than the state or local versions.
I wouldn't be surprised but what the feds have already received at least one completed catch and release application from people who are hoping to be charged by information instead of indictment.
More will be working on their applications just as soon as they hire a criminal defense attorney and tell them what the feds already seized with the recent warrants.
"You can hate him all you want", I can't speak for everyone, but I don't hate anyone. Folks that keep throwing the hate word around need to learn moderation. Everyone that disagrees with someone, it doesn't mean they hate them. Moderation is the key.
What I do have, a strong dislike for, is the marxist mayor's politics, not just his, but, all those that are like-minded. The fact that most people don't hate those marxist cult members, puts them at a distinct disadvantage.
The marxist credos, is by any means necessary, and they are faithful to it. A moral compass does not restrain them. There is no trick, too dirty, no lie too big, hate, and discontent, are their favorite tools, destruction is at their fingertips.
From the havoc they create, they bring the order of misery, and poverty is the people's end. History testifies to the truth of these words.
Do you all really think the Biden Justice Department would investigate much less prosecute Baby Chock?
Someone stole my thoughts and made a comment about Banks and Lee. It sort of makes you wonder why those two had their phones seized. If I remember correctly and please correct me if I’m wrong but Lee was coming from a “meeting” wreaking of Mary Jane at around 1:30 am on a Friday morning. Banks on the other hand did not disclose any info about where he was going to or coming from when he was pulled over for DUI. How much time did Owens spend at the cigar shop “working” while on taxpayers dime? Why did he need a second office and how was that paid? How many thugs has he had business dealings with that may have had things swept under the rug? One thing is for sure, if anything does come out of this due to Richard’s Disposal you people in Jackson will need to start renting dumpsters for your neighborhoods because none of this looks good. The FBI doesn’t just swoop in and leave with nothing for their efforts unless they have solid proof of wrongdoing.
8:32 PM could be right, since, like mayors of the other “deadliest US cities,” Chokwe has does his job really well, keeping crime high enough to maintain Democrat monopolistic control of Jackson, MS.
On the hand, Chokwe will just be replaced by another Marxist, so no loss to Democrats if he does go down.
Kingfish failed to state what 'the other office' is used for or why it is available to the D.A.
OSHA is a separate federal agency with full authority to investigate and sanction many businesses and industries; however, OSHA does not have any authority over municipalities or other government public sector entities.
The only exception to that would be if the city has some sort of internally crafted OSH-plan in place sanctioned by OSHA-the Federal Office, which is doubtful.
@9:03 I believe the joke regarding OSHA completely escaped you...
You don't reckon the D.A.'s 'other businesses' are using employees for illicit purposes. Naw...strike that.
Wait, let me guess. Don Drane is Bill Dees?
10:26, he is completely oblivious to what Kingfish was saying.
10:26
It certainly did ! DD is your typical know it all/smartest guy in the room jackass.
I'm going to stick up for 5:02. The mayor's hands are indeed clean. He wears Playtex rubber gloves when he plays with the crap he handles each day. Any dung on his hands would be very old dung, before he learned all of the tricks of the trade. His bank records are where they will get him, and then it will be for tax evasion. Just like Capone, they all eventually fall to the feds.
Good job Kingfish! You got 3/7 mentioned. Sometimes the FBI could be your neighbors and you wouldn't know.
9:03 SO if the COJ has Brownfield in their RFQ proposals & these are programs under EPA & MDEQ, will that create a conflict of interest and or problems since the COJ had to enter into a Receivership over violations with Water & Sewer that Judge Wingate appointed Ted to run? Maybe that also may have been found in recent FBI raids of DA & Lumumba or whatever office the FBI removed files from! Just thinking outside the BOX!!!!
Yes, the mayor’s hands are squeaky clean for all the reasons set forth by 11:41AM. They’re downright germ-free after his weekly mani-pedi.
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