* Michael Sneed has very good federal and Jackson organization sources, so this is fascinating…
Sneed has learned U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr., who handily won re-election Tuesday despite a lengthy stay at Mayo Clinic for depression and bipolar disorder, is in the midst of plea discussions with the feds probing his alleged misuse of campaign funds.
“No one has pled guilty, but plea discussions are ongoing,” said a top Sneed source, who said Jackson is still undergoing treatment at Mayo Clinic.
Sneed is also told Jackson, who returned to Mayo Clinic after undergoing outpatient treatment in the seclusion of his home in Washington, D.C., is not only being investigated for allegedly using campaign funds to decorate his Washington home — but also Sneed hears he may also have used campaign funds to buy a $40,000 Rolex watch as a gift for a female friend.
* That last item about the watch has set off a fury among some female aldermen…
“In every marriage somewhere down the line, you think that your husband might fool around on you, but not necessarily commit adultery. Being a high-profile person, how constrained could he be? But, to have it all now slammed in her face. That has got to be so humiliating, it’s like, I don’t want to get out of bed,” said Ald. Carrie Austin (34th), chairman of the City Council’s Budget Committee.
“You fooled us all — including your wife. We respected you were ill. [We said,] `Let the man heal.’ And then, you come out with this poppycock? I’m angry that you would wait until the day after the election that you won handily with the support of all of us. Nobody came against you. Then, you come out the next day working out a deal? We’ll deal your butt out of the Congress. Get somebody in there who’s gonna be honest with us and work on our behalf. Maybe, it should be Sandi.” […]
“She’s tried to stand up under all this pressure. She’s tried to be a good wife [and] stand behind her husband. Then, you turn around and do this? You bought this hussy a $40,000 watch? He would need to stay at the Mayo Clinic if he was my husband,” Austin said.
“This is a real expensive girlfriend. Wow. What $40,000 watch have you bought for Sandi, you buzzard?” […]
Ald. Deborah Graham (29th) said she was “heartbroken” for Sandi Jackson and the humiliation she must be enduring.
“She’s got to be torn. She’s got to be going through a lot of different emotions. It’s a terrible time for her and her children,” Graham said.
If she was in Sandi’s shoes, Graham said, “I would be devastated, but there’s some vows that you make. Now, she has to make some decisions about whether she stands by him or makes other choices. Those decisions belong to her. She’s a beautiful and bubbly person. My heart goes out to her. It’s a sad time.”
LIVE session coverage...
- shore - Thursday, Nov 8, 12 @ 1:18 pm:
She lives in dc for a chicago job, without the jacksons, she’s sandy who?, has been paid $400k from his campaign fund and lives in a $2 million house in dc, this woman is not exactly a victim. She can always file for divorce, move back to chicago and make it on her own, yet hasn’t. Reality check please. They need to go now, this is embarrassing for the city, black leadership in the country, congress and whatever good people think he once did.
- Plutocrat03 - Thursday, Nov 8, 12 @ 1:20 pm:
and yet, there is still time to figure out how to game the political system for your benefit…..
wow again
- qcexaminer - Thursday, Nov 8, 12 @ 1:22 pm:
But of course it is just the GOP with the nutters; Jackson, Smith, Blago, etc. that’s just good Dem politics and good Dems will vote lockstep for them.
Jeez! I know it makes you feel good about yourselves to bash the hapless ILGOP, but good lord, take a good look at yourselves and the people you elect over and over.
- Yossarian Lives - Thursday, Nov 8, 12 @ 1:24 pm:
Okay, so Ald. Jackson isn’t a victim economically or professionally. But it’s probably not accurate to say she hasn’t been adversely affected by her husband’s actions. Not everything is explicitly political. I think she is probably paying a huge personal price for his deception. I don’t see any reason to put her down in the midst of this situation. I’m with Ald. Austin on this - some anger is warranted.
- Because I said so... - Thursday, Nov 8, 12 @ 1:29 pm:
This plea deal appears to be an admission of guilt on some level. This goes to show the lack of respect Jackson has for his constituents. They guy is simply trying to hold on to a paycheck and medical benefits for as long as possible.
And, can someone please explain to me how a Chicago Alderman, a city employee, can live in another city and represent her constituents? Sandi and JJJ are nothing but a joke, on our dime!
- OneMan - Thursday, Nov 8, 12 @ 1:36 pm:
40 Grand on a watch.
Good golly, that must be a good acquaintance
- SportShoz - Thursday, Nov 8, 12 @ 1:40 pm:
Take the watch, leave the canoli?
- Arthur Andersen - Thursday, Nov 8, 12 @ 1:42 pm:
OneMan, and a heckuva good watch!
Trips shoulda given her a fake Rollie.
- OneMan - Thursday, Nov 8, 12 @ 1:47 pm:
One would suspect he took the canoli with him…
rimshot…
- Mr. Common Man - Thursday, Nov 8, 12 @ 1:47 pm:
It would seem the Democrats would demand resignation, however it is not going to happen. I wish him the best regarding his health issues, but for his personal health and family it might be the best thing in his life at this time to step aside.
- ChicagoR - Thursday, Nov 8, 12 @ 1:53 pm:
Count me among those with little sympathy for Sandi. If he used campaign funds to decorate his house, I don’t see how she couldn’t know, especially since his campaign has been paying her a huge salary. Both of their careers in politics should end.
- wordslinger - Thursday, Nov 8, 12 @ 2:02 pm:
Enough with the GOP victim complex. No one’s giving Trips a pass. He has the federales on him.
He did not win in a super-majority black district. It was mapped down to 54% African-American. Yet the guy has the feds on him, hasn’t been seen for months and he still pounded lumps on the GOP candidate, who didn’t get a dime in the hundreds of millions that were raised by GOP types around the country.
If you don’t try, you can’t complain about getting beat.
- OneMan - Thursday, Nov 8, 12 @ 2:08 pm:
== If you don’t try, you can’t complain about getting beat. ==
Wow wordslinger, you are really getting them right the last couple of days.
- Mr. Low Information - Thursday, Nov 8, 12 @ 2:14 pm:
I don’t get it…is this to set up Sandi to be the replacement representative after JJJ resigns?
- Ron Burgundy - Thursday, Nov 8, 12 @ 2:20 pm:
So now Ald. Jackson isn’t showing up to her job either, because she doesn’t want to deal with the media. Real nice.
- ZC - Thursday, Nov 8, 12 @ 2:33 pm:
Tick … Tick …. Tick …
- amnesty - Thursday, Nov 8, 12 @ 2:49 pm:
This is just so sad. Jackson is not well and should not have to endure this blatant racial attack being launched at him by the Feds.
- Jake From Elwood - Thursday, Nov 8, 12 @ 2:55 pm:
Is his resignation from Congress part of the plea deal? Timing is conspicuous… Hmm…
- phocion - Thursday, Nov 8, 12 @ 2:56 pm:
Are they female Aldermen from Chicago serious? Everyone knew before today that JJJ stepped outside of his marriage. They waited until after the election to express support for Sandi as if it was only news today. Please, ladies, save the acting for professionals.
- Because I said so... - Thursday, Nov 8, 12 @ 3:03 pm:
=This is just so sad. Jackson is not well and should not have to endure this blatant racial attack being launched at him by the Feds.=
ARE YOU SERIOUS? What does this have to do with race? Geesh
- titan - Thursday, Nov 8, 12 @ 3:13 pm:
@ Because - I think you missed some sarcasm there.
- Anonymous - Thursday, Nov 8, 12 @ 3:36 pm:
Countdown to the sexual addiction claim.
- Liandro - Thursday, Nov 8, 12 @ 3:38 pm:
We lost Bobby, who worked his butt off for everything, but kept J3, who…sigh. Just…sigh.
- Oswego Willy - Thursday, Nov 8, 12 @ 3:51 pm:
Leave the Cannoli out of this!
The Cannoli didn’t hurt anyone… just …(softly)… let the cannoli … ‘be’.
Now I WANT cannoli!
To the Post,
There is no “Bus” for JJJ to get on, so if he can make a deal, and if that means walk away from Congress, got to “College” in Oxford under the “Eddie V” Rule … got to take it.
“Do what I’m telling you, you’ll be home in nine months. Do it, Junior. Six months. It’s nothing. It’s a hockey season..”
- Arthur Andersen - Thursday, Nov 8, 12 @ 4:02 pm:
No cannoli chatter thisclose (@Sneed) to dinner time please!
- Been There - Thursday, Nov 8, 12 @ 4:10 pm:
===It’s a hockey season..”===
Since there is a lockout maybe he even negotiates better terms
- Steamer - Thursday, Nov 8, 12 @ 4:45 pm:
He’d make a great roomie for Blago !! $40K watch for his girlfriend, $400K paid to his wife, house remodeled on polical funds dime… he & his wife should both drift into the political sunset!
- amalia - Thursday, Nov 8, 12 @ 6:00 pm:
the marriage blather is a smoke screen. that’s the least of his problems. you don’t work on a plea because of a rocky marriage, you work on a plea because you did something illegal with public funds etc.
- VanillaMan - Thursday, Nov 8, 12 @ 9:23 pm:
J3 disgusts me.
He was given this Congressional district.
He got bored with it.
He didn’t want to be Mayor.
He didn’t want to run for Senate.
He wanted Blagojevich to give him the Senate seat so he could get another Congressional seat in the upper chamber in a similar way he got into the House - the lazy way.
The folks in the Second Congressional District has had a generation of idiot congressmen. The district has been so poorly represented and has been beaten down for so long! There is a reason we see Farrakan and Wright and other similar church organizations finding dedicated members here. Geez, this district has been down so long I don’t even remember a time when things were somewhat OK.
Now this?
The Second Congressional District in Illinois has been treated like a door mat for so long, it is downright criminal what the Jacksons are doing to it now. Abuse and neglect. They are treating us like slum lords. J3 isn’t even from here, but they’re desperate.
The whole 2008 bus tour across Illinois, post Obama election was a scam to cover up the deals between Blagojevich and Jackson. I never ever heard of anyone “campaigning” for a Senate appointment before J3 did this bag of horse manure PR stunt. It reeked of scandal even before the Feds picked up the Governor.
J3 may not be well, but I got to say that karma must be playing a role in his health right now. He is not a good congressman if he does things like this to the poor people in this district.
Shame. Now please go the hell away and don’t return. Take the rest of your family with ya!
- DuPage Dave - Thursday, Nov 8, 12 @ 10:12 pm:
“He was given this Congressional district.”???
Jackson won a five person primary against Emil Jones, among others. It was not given to him. True enough, the district boundaries were drawn to favor a Chicago African American, but he did win the contested primary.
I’m with you on most of the other comments.
- Bunch of Malarkey - Thursday, Nov 8, 12 @ 10:34 pm:
Switcheroo. Sandi can take over for JJJ and become a congressperson and JJJ can become an aldercreature. A felony conviction is ok on the City Council–maybe even a plus in some wards.
- Animal Mother - Friday, Nov 9, 12 @ 9:02 am:
Stakes is High
- titan - Friday, Nov 9, 12 @ 10:08 am:
@ Bunch of Malarky - A felony conviction is a disqualification for city/village office in Ilinis (unless one gets a pardon). Of course, with the Presidential election going to the D side, it isn’t inconcievable that one could happen.