The FBI raided the office and several businesses associated with Hinds County District Attorney Jody Owens early Wednesday morning, according to a report by WAPT. The targeted locations included Downtown Cigar Company LLC, Downtown Pizza, and a local daiquiri bar, raising questions about the operations of Owens, who is reportedly funded by billionaire George Soros.
The items seized during the raid, which included bags, boxes, and a printer, have not been disclosed. The FBI has also not provided the reason for the raids. FBI Public Information Officer Marshay Lawson confirmed the execution of multiple federal search warrants, stating, “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.”
The response from Owens’ office was restrained. DA Chief of Staff Samantha Grant stated, “This morning, FBI agents came to our offices. We are fully cooperating with their efforts. The Hinds County District Attorney’s Office is fully functioning and continues its work on behalf of the citizens of Hinds County. That has been and will continue to be our primary focus. Currently, we have no further statements.”
Owens, whose election campaign received significant funding linked to Soros, a well-known supporter of far left causes, has been scrutinized by conservative and libertarian groups. These groups argue that his prosecutorial decisions have been unduly influenced by Soros’s political agenda.
Elected in 2019 and re-elected in 2023, Owens has faced several controversies. In 2022, he was accused of threatening a man with a gun inside his chief of staff Samantha Grant’s apartment. Owens, who has been accused of having a relationship with Grant, has denied all allegations. He ran on a platform promising alternatives to incarceration and oversaw a record-high number of murders in Jackson in 2021, as reported by CNN.