Jesse Jackson, Jr., the man some of us came to know as “Senate Candidate Number 5” for his involvement in the attempted crooked deal to replace the senate seat Barack Obama left vacant, reportedly has signed a plea deal.
The terms require him to plead guilty, repay the government hundreds of thousands of dollars, and leave his sentencing in the hands of a federal judge. According to NBC, the jail time could be up to 5 years.
Columnist Sneed at the Chicago Sun-Times broke this, and other, stories that reveal details the public has yet to be made privy to:
Former Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. has signed a plea deal with federal prosecutors, according to a source familiar with the matter. The latest development comes in the ongoing federal investigation of Jackson’s alleged misuse of campaign funds.
Sneed first tipped this week that the deal includes significant prison time and that Jackson’s wife, Sandi, the former alderman, feels as if she were thrown under the bus by her husband. Sandi Jackson faces a separate federal probe of her own campaign spending. Jesse Jackson has allegedly misspent a large amount of campaign funds, including buying a $40,000 Rolex watch.
One thing which is not clear is if Jesse Jr.’s deal includes cooperation in testifying against others in exchange for leniency. Jackson almost certainly knows where many Chicago political scandals are buried.
I spoke with Bill Miller at the U.S. Attorney’s office in Washington, DC, who told me there was no comment on the case.
I followed up with an email asking whether the deal would be made public, and if the terms include Jackson testifying about others’ involvement. His response:
Thanks for the note. The U.S. Attorney’s Office has no comment on the case.
I’d be glad to keep you posted of any developments.
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Comments
This could become very entertaining. Remember how Mr. Fitzgerald rushed to arrest and indict Blago when it looked like the latter’s telephone calls were getting just a little too interesting?
I predict that when it’s all over, it will be another shining example of the federal prosecutor setting out to hunt bears and elk and coming home with squirrels and rabbits.
$40,000 Rolex watch to JJJr: “Do the crime, serve the time.”
Jesse and Blago can scratch each other’s back now.
“If’n you wants me to sing, I needs the bling.”
In Chicago there is a rare disease known as “Fedzheimer’s” where a recently indicted individual will lose all memory of relationships, inter-party friendships, colleagues, and other immoral characters that one has dealt with all their life. It is a terrible disease that afflicts those who hang out with judges and mobsters, often at the same social event. It is most frequently observed just after someone is indicted. There is no known cure. Even photographic images are not strong enough to help the sufferer “recall” certain people, places, deals, agreements, under-the-table envelopes, etc.
This disease was first observed by Mr. John Kass of the Chicago Tribune, and he has pent several years tracking the terrible scourge of this disease across Chicago Politicians.
Sadly, there does not seem to be any color available for the Campaign to Cure Fedzheimer’s (while Gfeen was proposed as it also matches the color of money, it was promptly shot down in committee).
Please help cure Fedzheimer’s…or help us find more victims by indicting more politicians. At this point, we will take either donation.
There ought be no plea bargaining for federal employees.
Corruption is the enemy of governance – which is incidentally not the same as government!
We have a similar case of an MP who has been charged with 150 points but it has been public knowledge . JJJ.’s has been hidden & by this method wil be hidden.
Our creep will have a full trial. Until he he is innocent but still creepy.
‘Until then he innocent’
Not only is that still a thing but this way via full trial we all get to be entertained .
Plea deals cover the best stuff .
I wonder what JJ Jr’s life expectancy is, now that the word’s out that he might be talking.
Interesting take. If memory serves, wasn’t Mayor Tiny Dancer interviewed by the Feds about the whole senate seat deal? Same with Valerie J too, no?
JJJ is broke or close too it and his wife is under the microscope. At this point, why not give up whoever in order to get a ligher sentence and move on?
No traveling in small planes JJJ.
Illustrating Chicagoland Idiocy, Mayhem and Stupidity at heyjackass.com
He may have been candidate #5, but at least he wasn’t bimbo #5…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bDXc4MUg9v8