JACKSON, Miss.—The FBI raided the office of Hinds County District Attorney Jody Owens and his business, Downtown Cigar Company, in Jackson, Miss., on Wednesday morning. It is unclear what triggered the raids.
The location is one of multiple sites that the agency raided on Wednesday, FBI Jackson Public Affairs Officer Marshay Lawson said in a statement to the Mississippi Free Press.
“The FBI is executing federal search warrants at multiple locations. The affidavit in support (of) the search warrants has been sealed by the court and so I am prohibited from commenting further. There is no threat to public safety,” Lawson said. It is not clear which other locations or how many locations the FBI raided.
Agents also visited City Hall and briefly spoke with Mayor Chokwe A. Lumumba’s chief of staff, Dr. Safiya Omari, WLBT reported today.
Owens is the Democratic district attorney who, in February 2020, announced the first arrests in Mississippi’s sprawling $77 million welfare scandal alongside Republican State Auditor Shad White.
Asked for comment on today’s FBI raid, Owens’ office sent a statement to the Mississippi Free Press this afternoon.
“This morning, FBI agents came to our offices. We are fully cooperating with their efforts,” the statement said. “The Hinds County District Attorney’s Office is fully functioning and continues to work on the behalf of the citizens in Hinds County. That has been and will continue to be our primary focus. Currently, we have no further statements.”