Glamorous Democrat councilwoman accepted bribe of Valentino shoes to vote in donor's best interests

A Democrat councilwoman successful Mississippi accepted rate and different gifts - including a brace of Valentino wedge sandals - for her early votes successful favour of a projected existent property improvement project.

Angelique Lee, a erstwhile Jackson Ward 2 councilwoman, resigned successful August soon earlier pleading blameworthy to 1 count of conspiracy to perpetrate bribery.

Now, a national judge has indefinitely delayed nan sentencing phase.

Public tribunal documents show that Lee accepted $19,000 from February 2024 to March 2024 for her votes successful favour of a existent property improvement task successful nan City of Jackson projected by 2 identified individuals.

She besides agreed to ballot successful favour of a roadworthy closure that would beforehand nan aforesaid project. 

Not only did she judge much than $13,000, but aggregate designer gifts - including a Christian Louboutin bag, a brace of Christian Louboutin sandals and a brace of Valentino wedge sandals.

Her location was raided by nan FBI successful May erstwhile each nan items, isolated from for a sweatshirt and perfume, were found, WJTV reported.

She was ordered to forfeit nan items she had accepted for her compliance - including nan $13,000.  

The find came aft Lee had meal pinch 2 existent property developers from Nashville, Tennessee, this past March wherever she accepted $3,000 successful a rate bribe for her support of a downtown development.

Unbeknownst to her, nan alleged developers, referred to arsenic 'individual 1' and 'individual 2', were really undercover FBI agents. 

The meal was recorded and nan transcripts were unveiled during her 32-minute proceeding successful beforehand of Daniel Patrick Jordan, a US District Court judge.

A information of nan speech included nan undercover supplier presumably handing Lee nan acold difficult cash.

'So return this, that's yours, convey you,' he said. 'All of that and there's 800 much successful there, truthful that's $3,000', Clarion Ledger reported.

'Oh my god,' Lee responds. 'I don't person to study that. Thank you, I'm not reporting this.' 

The supplier past acknowledgment Lee for her support connected nan project, to which she responds: 'You've sewage much votes coming'.

The supplier proceeded to springiness Lee a in installments paper to usage for a shopping spree, saying: 'Don't spell excessively crazy, but person a awesome time.'

She spent astir $6,000 astatine a luxury clothing shop successful Jackson pinch nan paper nan very adjacent day.

She attended nan meal connected March 27 pinch personification branded arsenic 'Unindicted Co-conspirator A' - an chartless personification who sent $10,000 successful an physics transportation for nan intent of paying disconnected a information of her run debt, nan Clarion Ledger reported.

Lee was elected to her position connected nan Ward 2 spot successful 2020 during a typical predetermination aft Melvin Priester Jr., a erstwhile City councilman, resigned. 

But connected an August greeting 4 years later, she seemed to travel suit - abruptly resigning from her position.

At nan time, she offered nary mentation for her departure.

In a missive to coworkers, she wrote: 'Circumstances that I americium not astatine liberty to talk astatine nan infinitesimal person led to this decision', Mississippi Free Press reported.

'It has been my tremendous grant to service nan constituents of Ward 2 and nan group of nan City of Jackson arsenic a whole,' she added.

'I would for illustration to personally widen my gratitude to each of my vicinity relation presidents for each of their support and prayers passim my future.'

It was not long, however, until nan conspiracy came to light.

The downtown improvement successful Jackson that was among nan conversations Lee was progressive successful astatine nan March meal has remained mostly empty.

But nan improvement of a edifice connected nan tract is thing that nan City of Jackson has been seeking developers for and aiming to build since nan mid-2000s, nan Clarion Ledger reported. 

Despite nan unclear reasoning down nan hold of Lee's sentencing, she faces up to 5 years successful situation and a good of $250,000.