Feds “going down every rat hole”
Friday, Nov 16, 2012 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Sun-Times…
Federal authorities investigating U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. continue to “peel back layers of the onion” in the case, according to a source close to the financial probe who described it as an ongoing investigation.
The source said Thursday that federal investigators are “going down every rat hole,” and that the FBI crew investigating “is not yet finished digging.”
The federal probe, which began before Jackson took medical leave from Congress on June 10, first looked at activity in the congressman’s campaign fund. But it has since gone into other areas, said the source, who would not elaborate.
Broad, sweeping subpoenas were issued in the Jackson investigation, including on financial institutions that controlled Jackson accounts both in and out of Washington, D.C., the source said.
Once they start, they never stop. It’s darned near impossible to beat a federal rap.
* Another interesting nugget from the Sun-Times…
Jackson’s most recent federal election disclosures show that his campaign committee paid $3,000 to Whitney Burns, a consultant sometimes described as a “political campaign bean counter” who specializes in federal election campaign compliance.
Reached Wednesday, Burns refused to talk about Jackson.
“The work I do is confidential. I just generally don’t discuss my work with reporters unless my client asks me to discuss (something),” Burns told the Chicago Sun-Times. “I have a policy going back 30 years not to discuss my clients.”
* Related…
* Sandi Jackson standing tough despite report of fed scrutiny, source says: Sneed is told that Sandi Jackson was surprised when informed by a TV reporter that her husband had left the clinic
* Editorial: A deadline for Jackson
* Ald. Sandi Jackson misses budget vote
* Mayo: Congressman Jackson leaves clinic, continues medical treatment for bipolar disorder
- The Captain - Friday, Nov 16, 12 @ 9:55 am:
The persistent and aggressive leaking without actually charging anything on an investigation that began in 2008 must mean they have a really, really, really strong case and they just like keeping us in suspense.
One of these days the US Attorney’s office is going to do this to someone we do have an ounce of sympathy for and I guess then it will be clear how out of control and dangerous they are. In a system of government that prides itself on checks and balances this is a component with no check on it and it is wildly out of balance.
- Cincinnatus - Friday, Nov 16, 12 @ 10:21 am:
The Captain,
See Ray Donovan…
One would think that the fear of one of these investigations would be enough to keep people on the straight and narrow. Arrogance and stupidity are shown, time and time again, to trump good sense.
- Hammer - Friday, Nov 16, 12 @ 10:31 am:
Agreed. Enough leaks, enough negotiating through the media, someone sac up and make a move. If the sides are just waiting so that they can line up the special election then just keep quiet til post Thanksgiving. But this is a sad situation on all levels: a) a very promising politician is ill and needs help b) a very promising politician couldn’t escape the muck and is about to drag down his whole family (even if Sandy is unscathed she’ll get a strong challenge) and is now begging (or strongarming) for mercy
- The Captain - Friday, Nov 16, 12 @ 10:45 am:
Let’s recap a quick timeline here shall we. Blagojevich gets arrested December 2008 and JJJ becomes a suspect/possible co-conspirator but is not charged, he becomes an active investigative target at that point if he wasn’t before.
Fast forward two years later to the fall of 2010 where he still hasn’t been charged and wants to move forward. He foolishly challenges the feds to put up or shut up and then the office that dare not leak says nothing except that two days later a picture of JJJ’s DC blonde girlfriend shows up on the front page of the Sun-Times kicking off a media feeding frenzy. What the feds did there was pretty shady, and if we’re being honest it was also pretty hilarious.
Fast forward two years later, still leaking like a sieve, still not charging any of the past leaked indiscretions, still not charging any of the newly leaked indiscretions, still leaking, leaking, leaking though. If they get performance reviews based on newspaper ink consumed then bravo, but by any other standard this is no way to conduct an unchecked justice system.
- shore - Friday, Nov 16, 12 @ 11:09 am:
love the beatdowns of the us attorney’s office by jackson backers. They don’t go after innocent people folks.
Sun-Times and Tribune need to come out with A1 sunday editorials this weekend telling both jacksons to leave office immediately, no conditions, no golden taxpayer funded parachutes and the sun-times needs to boot daddy’s column which is mostly dreck anyway. This is really not what the community needs right now and it’s a horrible image to set.
I do however enjoy watching mayor deadfish squirm when asked these questions on the nightly news so maybe they should stick around.
- wordslinger - Friday, Nov 16, 12 @ 11:38 am:
–love the beatdowns of the us attorney’s office by jackson backers. They don’t go after innocent people folks.–
Shore, you don’t have to be a “Jackson backer” to be concerned about the awesome power of the Justice Department and how they wield it.
Who “they go after,” who they deem is worthy of a deal and who they prosecute to the max are very subjective.
And, sorry, citizens should never presume law enforcement is ALWAYS the white knight, only going after the baddest of the bad.
Nineteen people were sitting on Death Row here waiting for the ultimate punishment until a bunch of Northwestern kids proved they quite literally could not have committed the crimes for which they were tried, convicted and sentenced to death.
- Rich Miller - Friday, Nov 16, 12 @ 11:40 am:
===They don’t go after innocent people folks===
Ask a couple of generals about that one.
- walkinfool - Friday, Nov 16, 12 @ 11:40 am:
@Shore: They do occasionally go after innocent people.
Their overreach, and tactics abusive of our expectations for a fair justice system, should be called out and dealt with.
I especially dislike their tactics of threats to any and all family and friends, their threats of IRS audits and actions, their freezing of personal funds so that legal counsel is hard to pay for, their confiscation of computers so that you are unable to refer to your own records, their unjustified expansion of the original intent of laws on conspiracy, RICO, and wire fraud. I really am afraid they are out of control.
In no way is this a commentary on JJJ. I have never been his supporter, and think you are right in asking for his resignation. I am simply a concerned citizen, with no personal connection with any actions by the Feds.
- The Captain - Friday, Nov 16, 12 @ 11:47 am:
Careful shore, they might apply these same tactics going after your much beloved Senator Hush Money.
- Poolside @ Hotel Ibiza - Friday, Nov 16, 12 @ 12:06 pm:
What a great pari of role models they are. Both are earning public salaries and pensions without bothering to show up to work. They’re sense of entitlement is unprededented.
- Loop Lady - Friday, Nov 16, 12 @ 12:11 pm:
Poolside: huzzah, huzzah…
- MrJM - Friday, Nov 16, 12 @ 12:31 pm:
We’re gonna need a bigger Bureau.
– MrJM
- KurtInSpringfield - Friday, Nov 16, 12 @ 12:43 pm:
“Sneed is told that Sandi Jackson was surprised when informed by a TV reporter that her husband had left the clinic”
While I believe this is a private not a public issue, I just have to ask, really? If I was leaving a medical clinic after an extended stay, one of two things would occur. Either my wife would be there, or, if she couldn’t be there, I would call her and let her know I had been discharged. Heck, I would have called her as soon as I knew I was being discharged. It begs the question, if Sandy really didn’t know, how important is she in his life? I don’t think you would forget to call the most important person in your life about something like that. So who did JJJr call first?
- KurtInSpringfield - Friday, Nov 16, 12 @ 12:54 pm:
@Shore They went after my dad, and he was innocent. In fact he was one of the few found not guilty in federal court here in Springfield. A federal marshal, who was a friend of my brother’s said at the time the feds (in Springfield)had not lost a case in over 20 years.
The federal investigator lied on the stand. We knew it, and the U.S. attorney knew it too. And they did it because they were losing the case.
If anyone remembers the CILCO gas main explosions around 1989, 1990, my dad was an employee and was charged (trumped up) with Conspiracy to violate the national gas and pipeline safety act. Unfortunately for the feds, the only evidence that was found pointed to upper management in Peoria, but the feds didn’t want to go after them. So much for Justice!
- Arthur Andersen - Friday, Nov 16, 12 @ 1:15 pm:
See also the late Chris Kelly for those who think the USAO in Chicago doesn’t put a thumb on the scales of justice now and then.
Being troubled and/or a lousy politician does not automatically make one a crook.
- Anonymous - Friday, Nov 16, 12 @ 1:22 pm:
Uh, if I remember correctly, the current Jackson investigation was sourced as coming out of DC, and not the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Chicago.
Also, by the way, most leaks about federal investigations come from lawyers for witnesses or defendants.
- Bill - Friday, Nov 16, 12 @ 1:41 pm:
==Also, by the way, most leaks about federal investigations come from lawyers for witnesses or defendants==
Most leaks come out of the US Attorney’s office to pressure rats and ruin the personal lives of their targets while poisoning the potential jury pool. If you’ve got a case make arrests and go to trial. Knock off the character assassination and trial by leak and innuendo.
- Arthur Andersen - Friday, Nov 16, 12 @ 2:31 pm:
Absolutely on point, Bill.
- Anonymous - Friday, Nov 16, 12 @ 2:41 pm:
=Careful shore, they might apply these same tactics going after your much beloved Senator Hush Money.=
I always found it interesting that they went after JJJ, which per twitters, seems to inflame people into asking about Kirk and why he’s being treated differently. Precedent and/or pressure?
- Anonymous - Friday, Nov 16, 12 @ 2:50 pm:
And with regard to the Generals, they still seem to have alot of support with which I agree. However, you have to generally wonder why “socialites” (who really aren’t “socialites” per traditional definition) are granted such great access to top brass in our military and those in intelligence, wind up feeling that they’re immune from anything and everything, and why others who were approached earlier asked to have some of the same women “managed for them,” denying direct access.
- Anonymous - Friday, Nov 16, 12 @ 3:02 pm:
And it seems that the socialites were originally recruited, and propped up, by the Democratic party. What a tangled web.
- mokenavince - Friday, Nov 16, 12 @ 3:09 pm:
The Jacksons are everything politicans should not be,representing Illinois and Chicago and living in D.C..How do we let something like this happen?
This is a true case of American Greed.
- x ace - Friday, Nov 16, 12 @ 3:34 pm:
He hires the jailed Republican Ex Governor’s attorney instead of the jailed Democrat Ex Governor’s lawyer. What’s Up ?
Big Jim’s crew surely can’t be doing this one for free, can they ?
- Leave a Light on George - Friday, Nov 16, 12 @ 3:59 pm:
Associates on tape offering to buy a Senate seat on your behalf, allegations of using campaign money for home decorating, paying your wife hundreds of thousands of $ of compaign funds to “consult”
I say when the feds have checked every rat hole they should start over and check them all again.