JACKSON, Mississippi (AP) — The mayor of the capital of Mississippi said Wednesday that he has been charged in an alleged bribery operation, calling it a “political prosecution” to harm his 2025 re-election campaign.

“My legal team has informed me that federal prosecutors have, in fact, charged me with bribery and related charges,” Jackson Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba said in a video statement Wednesday. WJTV-TV and other media outlets reported. “To be clear, I have never accepted any type of bribe. “As mayor, I have always acted in the best interest of the city of Jackson.”

Lumumba, a Democrat, has been mayor since 2017. An indictment was not immediately available in electronic federal court records Wednesday.

The charges came after undercover FBI agents, posing as real estate investors, invited the mayor to a fundraiser in Ft. Lauderdale. Lauderdale, Florida, April 3 WLBT-TV reported. Agents said they wanted to develop properties in downtown Jackson and help finance the mayor’s re-election campaign.

Jackson City Council Member Angelique Leea Democrat, resigned in August and pleaded guilty to federal bribery charges as a result of the same FBI investigation.

Lumumba said his legal team “will vigorously defend me against these charges.”

“We believe this is a political process against me, designed primarily to destroy my credibility and reputation within the community,” he said.

Jackson City Council President Virgi Lindsay issued a statement asking Jackson residents to be patient following the mayor’s accusation. WAPT-TV reported.

“I am reminded that the presumption of innocence is a fundamental principle of our criminal justice system,” said Lindsay, a Democrat. “Therefore, I will remain firmly focused on the work of our city council and trust that the legal system will develop without undue comment on my part.”