Jackson council members sued by garbage pickup company partner

The owner of a company hired to pick up garbage in Jackson during a recent garbage  "state of emergency" has sued two Jackson City Council members for defamation.

The lawsuit, filed Oct. 14 in Hinds County Circuit Court by Dwayne Pickett Sr., accuses Ward 6 Councilman Aaron Banks and Ward 7 Councilwoman Virgi Lindsay of saying Pickett, a National Waste United principal and New Jerusalem Church pastor, tried to bribe Banks.

"I think it was a deliberate attempt on my character," Pickett said Friday. 

According to the lawsuit, around Sept. 17, Banks "falsely and maliciously" told Lindsay and others that Pickett offered him $50,000 in exchange for a yes vote on National Waste United's garbage contract.

Following a competitive bid process earlier this year by city officials to select a garbage collection vendor, the City Council voted down Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba's recommendation, FCC Environmental Services, and continued to negotiate with the city's current vendor, Waste Management. 

When those negotiations reached an impasse, Lumumba declared a garbage state of emergency Sept. 17. He then hired National Waste United to step in and pick up the garbage if Waste Management's contract expired on Sept. 30.

 A few days later, the City Council rescinded the mayor's state of emergency, invalidating National Waste United's contract with the city. 

Emergency contract approved:Jackson City Council, mayor, Waste Management reach solution for garbage collection

The lawsuit also accuses Banks of falsely telling others that, on a separate occasion, Pickett offered him $20,000 in exchange for support of the company's emergency garbage pickup contract.

Banks denied doing anything illegal. Banks said he is confident the truth will come out and show his actions were true and in the best interest of Jackson residents. 

The lawsuit accuses Lindsay of repeating statements made by Banks that Pickett attempted to bribe Banks in exchange for his vote. 

On Friday, Lindsay called the lawsuit ridiculous. 

"This lawsuit is ridiculous and I look forward to being fully vindicated in court," she said. 

At a Friday press conference, Pickett said people have begun to question his character. He said he has experienced mental anguish and it bothers him that Banks, a friend of 20 years, has lied about him. 

TreMarcus Rosemon, Pickett's attorney, said his client has sought counseling.

In the lawsuit, Pickett requests a jury trial and is seeking damages on numerous counts, including: slander per se, intentional infliction of emotional distress, negligent infliction of emotional distress and gross negligence. 

"My client's ultimate goal is to clear his name from the damage these false accusations caused him," Rosemon said.  

Reporter Mina Corpuz can be reached by email at mcorpuz@gannett.com. You can follow her on Twitter @mlcorpuz.