Former Chicago Congressman Jesse Jackson Jr.'s corrupt behind is headed for jail.
Jackson had already resigned from Congress last November, just weeks after he won re-election. He'd held the seat since 1995, taking it from congressman Mel Reynolds, who resigned after he was convicted in a sex scandal.
Busted for extreme misuse of campaign funds for his personal lifestyle,he's copped a plea which reportedly involves what's described as 'significant jail time'.
Even more interesting, a second federal investigation has begun involving Jackson's wife Sandi,a former Chicago alderwoman who also is reported to have sticky fingers.She allegedly had unlimitee access to Jackson's campaign account, and there's evidence of money being switched back and forth between his account and hers.
Now here's the thing...none of these busts are related to Jesse Jackson Jr's. attempt to buy Barack Obama's senate seat from former Governor Rod Blagojevich, who's now also a guest of the feds. But there are questions about that transaction that never quite got answered.Jackson’s longtime friend and donor, Raghu Nayak was reportedly Jackson's emissary to Blagojevich. According to the Chicago Sun-Times, Nayak told authorities that Jackson made Blagojevich a $6 million offer and also said he could take advantage of his friendship with Obama to arrange a Blagojevich pardon if it ever were to be necessary.
Walk with me awhile.
While Rep. Jackson always denied being involved in bidding for the vacant seat, he did admit having what he described as a social acquaintance that Nayak paid to fly from Washington D.C. to Chicago and back at Jackson’s request.
Now, who was that masked man...or woman? Remember this? ( originally from the Sun-Times but the link's down the memory hole)
A top aide to former Gov. Rod Blagojevich said he believed Barack Obama knew of Blagojevich's plot to win himself a presidential Cabinet post in exchange for appointing Valerie Jarrett to the U.S. Senate.
John Harris, Blagojevich's former chief of staff, testified Wednesday in the former governor's corruption trial that three days after the Nov. 4, 2008, presidential election, the ex-governor told Harris he felt confident Obama knew he wanted to swap perks.
"The president understands that the governor would be willing to make the appointment of Valerie Jarrett as long as he gets what he's asked for. . . . The governor gets the Cabinet appointment he's asked for," Harris said, explaining a recorded call.
Harris said Blagojevich came away believing Obama knew what he wanted after having a conversation with a local union representative, who in turn spoke with labor leader Tom Balanoff, with whom Blagojevich met to discuss a Jarrett appointment. Jarrett, now a White House adviser, was seeking the appointment to Obama's Senate seat.
Defense lawyers say Harris' testimony contradicts the government's previous public statements that Obama knew nothing about deal-making involving the Senate seat appointment.
The defense on Wednesday moved to force the prosecution to turn over FBI reports of Obama's interview with federal agents in December of 2008. Obama is not accused of wrongdoing.
"Testimony elicited by the government from John Harris and wiretaps played in court raise the issue of President Obama's direct knowledge and communication with emissaries and others regarding the appointment to his Senate seat," lawyers wrote in the filing.
The filing came on the trial's third day of the extensive playback of recordings in which Blagojevich is heard repeatedly discussing ways to personally capitalize on his Senate seat appointment power. Blagojevich could be heard plotting to try to head up a charity; swearing and snapping at his wife, Patti, and dismissing the possibility of a federal position that pays $190,000 a year.
"I make $170 . . . So Fred, that has no appeal to me . . . I want to make money," Blagojevich tells national Democratic consultant Fred Yang. "I might as well go out and find a way to make money."
Obama's 2008 internal report about his staff's contacts with Blagojevich at the time indicates that Balanoff relayed to Jarrett that Blagojevich was interested in a Health and Human Services Cabinet post.
But wait, there's more...Obama's consigliere David Axelrod slipped up in an interview back in 2008 and admitted that President Obama and Governor Blagojevich discussed the vacant seat..after President Obama denied ever speaking to Blagojevich about the matter!
Now, what else would they discuss besides a possible appointee - and the price? These two politicians had done business before and knew each other quite well.
Where am I going with this? Simple. Jesse Jackson Jr. has inside knowledge of what went on here. The likely scenario (and admittedly, I'm speculating) is that Blagojevich either wanted too high a price for the seat, or maybe the president felt he was too dirty to pass scrutiny for the post he wanted, or he decided Valerie Jarret was more valuable to him in DC.
What would be more natural than for President Obama to call his long time friend and political ally Jesse Jackson Jr., tell him Valerie Jarret wasn't interested any more but that Blago had the seat up for sale and to offer to send a trusted emissary from DC that all of them knew to go to Balgo and set up the deal?
Why not grill Jackson to see what he knows and offer him immunity to testify? It'd be more fun for me personally than him simply doing a little white collar-style time in Allenwood or somewhere similar until Obama pardons him.
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