Jackson Free Press

A week after the deadline for submitting campaign-finance reports, and on the morning of Jackson city elections, Councilman and veteran attorney Chokwe Lumumba filed his campaign-finance report.

The report, dated May 6, shows that Lumumba raised $68,753 since the beginning of the year and spent $59,292, leaving the campaign fund with $17,963 in cash on hand.

Meanwhile, Lumumba's largest donor was attorney Barry Howard who contributed $10,000 while Lumumba gave himself $4,500 in two installment. Howard has given to at least one Democratic candidate for statewide office, Gary Anderson, who ran for insurance commissioner in 2007. Dr. Demitri Marshall of Port Gibson gave $2,000 and Jeannette Felton, also of Port Gibson, gave $1,000.

Several lawyers and businesses donated. Fidelity Refund and Check Cashers, whose telephone number goes to an AT&T store in Michigan, gave $300; Moore's Used Auto Sales on Gallatin Street in Jackson, gave $1,300 and La Quinta Inn and Suites gave $500. Marlboro, Md.-based Bowie Construction LLC and Jackson Fuel gave $500 a piece. A1 Bail Bond in west Jackson gave another $500.

Most of the donors listed Jackson addresses, with a smattering of Michigan and Georgia contributors. John Burge, whose address is not listed on the form, contributed $3,500. Michigan attorney Adam Shakoor, who has contributed to Democratic and Republican candidates in his home state, gave Lumumba $1,000.

Cochran Firm Mississippi, the local branch of the law office the late defense attorney who represented O.J. Simpson founded, and Precious Martin Sr. & Associates, each gave $1,000. Lumumba's law partner, Harvey Freelon, gave $1,100.

Eleven people on Lumumba's form list their address as "N/A." However, Lumumba has had at least three out-of-state fundraisers in the California Bay Area, in New York City and Washington D.C., but none of the people on the donor form list addresses near those cities.

Lumumba has explained the out-of-town fundraisers saying that fellow human-rights activists throughout the country support his candidacy. Saladin Muhammad, a North Carolina labor leader, gave $1,000. The Washington D.C.-based Black is Back coalition that advocates for reparations, single-payer health care, ending U.S.-led wars, freeing prisoner Mumia Abu Jamal and other "U.S. political prisoners/POWs/exiles" and rescinding the Patriot Act, gave $265. Eve Rosahn, who was indicted for providing a getaway car in a famous 1981 Brink's robbery, also gave $265. Prosecutors eventually dropped the charges against Rosahn, who works at a legal-aid clinic in New York City.

Advertising consumed the bulk of Lumumba's spending. He spent $13,205 with Space Age Graphics, $7,342 with WKXI (Kixie 107-FM), $3,545 with Comcast, $2,776 with YMF Media and $7,050 with Lamar Advertising.

At a press conference near City Hall, Democratic mayoral candidate Jonathan Lee and a handful of supporters announced a key endorsement from State Representative Credell Calhoun, who represents Mississippi's 68th district here in Jackson.

Lee also received endorsements from his pastor at Anderson United Methodist Church Joe May and New Jerusalem Church Pastor Duane Pickett. Pickett said it was important to him that Lee believes in the resurrection of Jesus Christ because "Jackson needs a resurrection."

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That statement was an obvious swipe at Chokwe Lumumba, who despite being baptized four different times in four different churches has made statements in the past about not being sure about the story of Christ's resurrection, a story integral to the Christian faith.

After hearing from the speakers, Lee took to the podium and after a brief statement took three questions from the assembled media.

The first question was about Lee's support, both financial and at the ballot box, from the white community. The reporter asked if Lee was trying to distance himself from his supporters. The candidate answered no, and asked the reporter to look at the numbers, which he said shows he had a wide range of support from voters all over the city.

As we pointed out in a story in Wednesday's JFP, which you can read here, we noted that the bulk of Lee's support indeed came from Jackson's white community in Wards 1 and 7.

Lee added that he was "very proud" of the way his campaign has been run.

When pressed on the issue, event organizer Othor Cain said we would move past that line of questioning and asked if there was anyone else who wanted to talk about something else.

The second question Lee fielded was whether or not he was disappointed by former candidate Regina Quinn's decision to endorse Lumumba. Lee, who had already mentioned Quinn as a future role model for his daughter, said he was a little bit disappointed because he thought he had laid out a plan she could get behind, but that he would move forward without her support.

The third question was whether or not the preachers' comments were implying that Lumumba was not a "true Christian." Lee vehemently denied that, saying the pastors were only there to talk about him, and not his opponent.

The press conference was set to take place on the lawn in front of City Hall, but about 10 minutes before the set 11 a.m. start time, security and City Clerk Brenda Pree emerged from the building and told Cain and Lee's campaign manager Tyrone Hendrix they would have to move the event 150 feet from the building, because absentee and early voting was taking place inside City Hall.