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

A Democratic assemblywoman in Mississippi accepted cash and other gifts — including a pair of Valentino wedge sandals — for her future votes in favor of a proposed real estate development project.

Former Jackson Ward 2 Councilwoman Angelique Lee resigned in August, shortly before pleading guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit bribery.

Now a federal judge has postponed the sentencing phase indefinitely.

Public court records show that from February 2024 to March 2024, Lee accepted $19,000 for her vote for a real estate development project in the city of Jackson proposed by two identified individuals.

The parking lot across from the Jackson Convention Complex in Downtown Jackson has remained empty, but the city of Jackson has been looking for developers to build a hotel downtown since the mid-2000s

She also agreed to vote for a road closure that would further the same project.

Not only did she accept more than $13,000, but also several designer gifts, including a Christian Louboutin bag, a pair of Christian Louboutin sandals and a pair of Valentino wedge sandals.

Her home was raided by the FBI in May when all items except a sweatshirt and perfume were found. WJTV reported.

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

The discovery came after Lee had dinner last March with two real estate developers from Nashville, Tennessee, where she accepted $3,000 in cash bribes for her support of a downtown development.

Unbeknownst to her, the so-called developers, referred to as “Individual 1” and “Individual 2,” were actually undercover FBI agents.

The dinner was recorded and the transcripts were revealed during her 32-minute hearing before U.S. District Court Judge Daniel Patrick Jordan.

Public court documents show Lee accepted more than $13,000 and multiple designer gifts, including a Christian Louboutin bag, a pair of Christian Louboutin sandals and a pair of Valentino wedge sandals

Lee was elected to her position in the Ward 2 seat in 2020 in a special election after Melvin Priester Jr., a former city council member, resigned

Part of the conversation was about the undercover agent who allegedly handed Lee the hard cash.

“So take this, that’s yours, thank you,” he said. “All that and there are 800 left in it, so that’s $3,000,” Clarion General Ledger reported.

“Oh my god,” Lee replies. ‘I don’t have to report that. Thank you, I won’t report this.’

The agent then thanks Lee for her support of the project, to which she responds, “More voices are coming.”

The officer then gave Lee a credit card he could use for shopping and said, “Don’t be crazy, just have a great time.”

The next day, she spent about $6,000 at a high-end clothing store in Jackson with the card.

She attended the March 27 dinner with someone labeled “Unindicted Co-conspirator A” — an unknown individual who electronically transferred $10,000 for the purpose of paying off some of her campaign debt, the Clarion Ledger reported.

Lee was elected to her position in the Ward 2 seat in 2020 in a special election after Melvin Priester Jr., a former city council member, resigned.

Last August, Lee resigned shortly before pleading guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit bribery

But one August morning, four years later, she seemed to follow suit and abruptly resigned.

At the time, she gave no explanation for her departure.

In a letter to colleagues, she wrote: “Circumstances that I cannot discuss at this time have led to this decision,” Mississippi Free Press reported.

“It has been a tremendous honor for me to serve the voters of Ward 2 and the residents of the City of Jackson as a whole,” she added.

“I would like to personally express my gratitude to all of my community association presidents for all their support and prayers throughout my future.”

However, it didn’t take long for the conspiracy to come to light.

Although Lee’s sentencing is postponed indefinitely, she faces up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine

The downtown Jackson development that Lee was involved with at the March dinner has remained largely vacant.

But developing a hotel on the property is something the city of Jackson has been seeking out and building from developers since the mid-2000s. Clarion General Ledger reported.

Despite the unclear reasoning behind the stay of Lee’s sentencing, she faces up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.