The FBI on Wednesday raided a local prosecutor's office and business in Mississippi's capital city, although officials declined to say whether Hinds County District Attorney Jody Owens is suspected of wrongdoing. FBI agents spent hours searching a cigar bar owned by Owens in downtown Jackson. They also removed items from his office in the Hinds County Courthouse. Marshay Lawson, the spokesperson for the FBI's office in Jackson, said the reason for the search remains secret.
Before first being elected as district attorney in 2019, Owens had been the lead attorney in Mississippi for the Southern Poverty Law Center, a liberal-leaning group known for bringing lawsuits over issues including civil rights. Owens ran as a criminal justice reformer, saying he would focus on prosecuting violent crime while looking for alternatives to jail and prison for nonviolent offenders.