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Jackson has everyone scratching their heads

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Illinois

* This is a strange story on more than one level…

Shortly after his 2002 election, Gov. Rod Blagojevich told U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. (D-2nd) he’d planned to appoint Jackson’s wife as state lottery director but didn’t because the congressman refused his request for a $25,000 campaign donation, a person familiar with the conversation told The Associated Press Tuesday.

“Blagojevich went out of his way to say, ‘You know I was considering your wife for the lottery job and the $25,000 you didn’t give me? That’s why she’s not getting the job,’ ” the person said, speaking on the condition of anonymity because of the ongoing federal investigation.

Jackson spokesman Kenneth Edmonds declined to comment on the account but said Jackson has approached federal investigators to discuss the governor and others for years.

“He has shared information with federal prosecutors about public corruption during the past several years, including information about Blagojevich and others,” Edmonds said. […]

The person did not know whether Jackson’s wife, Sandi, who since has been elected to the Chicago City Council, had asked for the state lottery job. At the time, Blagojevich was the first incoming Democratic governor after years of Republican rule.

“The governor had kind of penciled Sandi in as lottery director and then asked for contributions from the congressman,” the person said.

Blagojevich and Jackson, Jr. had a major falling out before th 2002 primary. Jackson had promised an endorsement and then reneged. Blagojevich never forgave him. Ever. That’s one reason why I never thought that Blagojevich would appoint Jackson to the seat.

* The story began with this report from ABC7…

ABC7 has learned that since late last summer, the congressman has worked with federal prosecutors, informing on an alleged Blagojevich administration scheme two and half years earlier. […]

Then last summer, weeks after Rezko was found guilty of un-related corruption, the U.S. Attorney’s Office interviewed the congressman as a possible witness against the governor in the Peotone matter. […]

Hours before Blagojevich and his chief of staff John Harris were arrested, Jackson says prosecutors gave him a ‘courtesy call’ to let him know he was mentioned in the criminal complaint.

The revelations prompted a rash of speculation amongst the DC and local talking heads. What the heck was this all about?

As I’ve told you before, the “courtesty call” claim doesn’t appear to be true. Jackson made no bones about the third airport stuff a while back, but this is the first time we’ve heard about the Lottery appointment.

* And then the congressman’s office released this statement last night at about 6:30 from spokesman Kenneth Edmonds…

“As a responsible citizen and elected official, Congressman Jackson has in the past provided information to federal authorities regarding his personal knowledge of perceived corruption and governmental misconduct. This was completely unrelated to the current federal investigation regarding the U.S. Senate appointment. And it is absolutely inaccurate to describe the Congressman as an informant.”

Parse away.

posted by Rich Miller
Wednesday, Dec 17, 08 @ 10:22 am

Comments

If you are talking about the guy to the feds do you really want him appointing you to the US Seante?

Just askin?

Comment by OneMan Wednesday, Dec 17, 08 @ 10:27 am
so, not wearing a wire, but telling the Feds things you know about Chicago. this should certainly make lots of people feel uncomfortable, no matter how much of it is true. it also gives a whole new meaning to the video of the hugging in Denver.

Comment by Amy Wednesday, Dec 17, 08 @ 10:30 am
Wait–I thought I read here that it was determined that the “courtesy call” was real. Didn’t the feds corroborate?

Comment by Lefty Lefty Wednesday, Dec 17, 08 @ 10:33 am
So let me get this straight JJ Jr had a falling out with the future Governor in 2002 (Why?) and then uses his congressional seat to influence the Governor to appoint his wife (who does not have a backround in media or PR) as lottery director and the says Gov tried to shake him down? They all sound guilty of influence peddling. But to our great surprise just like his Daddy he tries to take away the Gov testicular virility by becoming a Government informant. Boy do we have some real adult elected officials in Illinois!

Comment by ratsoup Wednesday, Dec 17, 08 @ 10:35 am
Who was the ’sponsor’ of Carolyn Adams and how much was paid for her appointment?

Comment by walter sobchak Wednesday, Dec 17, 08 @ 10:35 am
===Wait–I thought I read here that it was determined that the “courtesy call” was real. Didn’t the feds corroborate? ===

They did not corroborate at all. You misread what I wrote or forgot what I wrote.

Comment by Rich Miller Wednesday, Dec 17, 08 @ 10:36 am
The story stinks, but the Congressman appears to have gotten what he wanted: headlines from WLS TV implying (incorrectly) that he was, in fact, involved in some sort of sting operation.

Verbal acrobatics in the same spirit as “depends on what your definition of “is” is.” A deceptive CYA strategy.

Comment by JonShibleyFan Wednesday, Dec 17, 08 @ 10:40 am
Yes, I have been telling the feds everything I know… but I am not an informant….

Comment by Heartless Libertarian Wednesday, Dec 17, 08 @ 10:40 am
===Who was the ’sponsor’ of Carolyn Adams and how much was paid for her appointment?===

Jones

$$’s? anybody’s guess no one was held accountable after 4 separate investigations

Comment by Anon Wednesday, Dec 17, 08 @ 10:41 am
Very strange indeed.

Regardless of his spokesman’s “he’s not an informant” quote, it seems the JJJ forces are setting up some sort of “Jesse-is-really-a-secret-agent-for-the-Feds” public posture. Interesting that Roland Martin, CNN commentator and Jackson family friend, has something to do with the placement of this CNN story that is very similar to the Southtown piece:

http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/12/16/blagojevich/index.html

I agree with Rich that the report that the Feds gave Jr. a tip about the Blago arrest the night before it happened is complete nonsense.

Comment by R.A. Wednesday, Dec 17, 08 @ 10:44 am
I think Trips is a real loose cannon right now, careening across the deck trying to extricate himself from any taint of the Blago Senate scandal.

I’m sure his lawyer’s blood pressure is through the roof.

Obvious questions: If the gov tried to shake you down for an appointment once before, why would you go to him hat-in-hand again? Why would you presume, as you said in your press conference, that the interview process was legitimate?

Comment by wordslinger Wednesday, Dec 17, 08 @ 10:47 am
Evidently the “strategy” is to pressure the U.S. Attorney’s office into publicly stating that JJJ is not a subject or a target of the investigation.

The silence is deafening.

(The next move: refusing to cooperate with the investigation and blaming it on the U.S. Attorney’s office)

Comment by Anon Wednesday, Dec 17, 08 @ 10:50 am
It is a whitewash. Another ruse from Jackson to save his bacon for future higher elected offices.

Sorry, but he exposed his hand during his bloviating charade last month.

This is just another cover-up.

Comment by VanillaMan Wednesday, Dec 17, 08 @ 10:52 am
“As a responsible citizen and elected official, Congressman Jackson has in the past provided information to federal authorities regarding his personal knowledge of perceived corruption and governmental misconduct.” Does this mean he has been questioned by Feds and that he aswered? (It sure doesn’t sound like he went out of his way to report something.) And, if it has nothing to do with current investigation, what was he being asked about?

Comment by babs Wednesday, Dec 17, 08 @ 10:53 am
The story, directly from JJJ’s mouth, keeps changing. Just like his old man, he’s got to be in the media when he should have kept his mouth shut. This smells real bad to me.

Comment by Jail house Rod Wednesday, Dec 17, 08 @ 11:00 am
Maybe JJJ didn’t think even Blago would go so far as to try to sell Obama’s Senate seat. Or maybe he thought the Gov wouldn’t be so stupid as to try to shake him down when everyone in Illinois knew Blago was already being investigated.

Comment by Anon Wednesday, Dec 17, 08 @ 11:03 am
===Maybe JJJ didn’t think even Blago would go so far as to try to sell Obama’s Senate seat. Or maybe he thought the Gov wouldn’t be so stupid as to try to shake him down when everyone in Illinois knew Blago was already being investigated. ===

Or maybe, like Blago, he just was too arrogant to think he might get caught.

Comment by NimROD Wednesday, Dec 17, 08 @ 11:29 am
On the one hand the “spokesman” basically says that Jackson has been a long time informant, and in the next breath denies that he’s an informant … hmmmm … My take on this is that they are trying to portray Jackson as a concerned public servant, rather than affixing the “informant” stigma to him.

Comment by Snidely Whiplash Wednesday, Dec 17, 08 @ 11:39 am
JJJ is now claiming he didn’t endorse Blago in 2002.

My memory is he did claiming his relationship to Blago in Congress and Blago and Reverend J going to Yugoslavia cemented the endorsement.

Does anyone have any links to “da truth”.

Comment by IrishPirate Wednesday, Dec 17, 08 @ 11:46 am
From CNN report
== Jackson rejected being labeled with the term “informant” in a message to CNN contributor Roland Martin.

Spokesman Kenneth Edmonds described Jackson’s interaction with federal authorities this way: “As a responsible citizen and elected official, Congressman Jackson has in the past provided information to federal authorities regarding his personal knowledge of perceived corruption and governmental misconduct.==

This is ridiculous. When you are aware of criminal activity or potential criminal activity and you take the information to the law enforcement or agents thereof, you are “informing” on the parties you were exposed to.

Comment by Gabriel Wednesday, Dec 17, 08 @ 11:52 am
Somebody tell Triple J that mic is live.

Comment by Leave a light on George Wednesday, Dec 17, 08 @ 11:54 am
Sounds like a bad attempt at spin.

If I’m ‘cooperating/contacting’ the Feds; then the reports about my ‘involement’ and reports in the ‘complaint’ can be explained away. Sure.

Comment by sal-says Wednesday, Dec 17, 08 @ 11:57 am
How convenient to change the definition of “informant” to something other than a person who provides information.

If JJJ doesn’t like “informant,” how about “snitch?” Or maybe, volunteer, enthusiastic snitch? I mean, you did what you did, just own it and move on.

Comment by Thomas Westgard Wednesday, Dec 17, 08 @ 12:02 pm
JJJ learned to play CYA from one of the best, his DAD.
Everything he’s saying just proves that he knew to become Senator JJJ he would have to bring cash to the table. Humm - maybe a million…

Comment by sneaker Wednesday, Dec 17, 08 @ 12:06 pm
if he was, as he says an informant, does that not raise the red flag, of, hello, why were you an informant? Did the feds have something on you in the first place? I can’t imagine Triple J would voluntarily offer up info to the Feds. Spin Spin Spin!!!

Comment by Jake L. Wednesday, Dec 17, 08 @ 12:35 pm
Why did J3 not mention this 2002 incident during any of the previous fights or newspaper articles. There have been many reports about pay to play, from the contractors donations, to the friends wife getting a job, big checks to blagos kids etc. All through this J3 failed to warn the public about what he knew about the Gov back in 2002…

I hate to say it, but I think the Gov has more credibility then J3. J3 wants to clear his name, but either J3 fabricated this story or concelaed it. neither point does much for his name.

Comment by Ghost Wednesday, Dec 17, 08 @ 12:44 pm
Congressman Jackson as a Blagojevich informant?…oh please! He has long since enjoyed a history of taking positions by force - the present controversy is simply more of the same.

Examples - pushing Reverend Meeks into Senate office at all costs; alignign with Congressman Bobby Rush against then State Senator Obama during Obama’s failed U.S. Congressional run (Jackson did not want to be upstaged by Obama); bulldozing his wife Sandy Jackson into an aldermanic seat in Chicago (notwithstadning the Beavers dynasty).

Comment by Black Ivy Wednesday, Dec 17, 08 @ 1:21 pm
==Examples - pushing Reverend Meeks into Senate office at all costs; alignign with Congressman Bobby Rush against then State Senator Obama during Obama’s failed U.S. Congressional run (Jackson did not want to be upstaged by Obama); bulldozing his wife Sandy Jackson into an aldermanic seat in Chicago (notwithstadning the Beavers dynasty).==

J3 was interviewed by Don Lemon for CNN to try to clear his name. Don Lemon is a former media guy from Chicago. He knows this history, but for a national news network these details aren’t even below the fold.

Comment by Gabriel Wednesday, Dec 17, 08 @ 1:28 pm
Jackson’s story smells like week old fish. I think his career is all but dead. I don’t think he will get any further than ‘Representative’. Was his wife even qualified to get the lottery director position?

Comment by this voter will remember Wednesday, Dec 17, 08 @ 3:19 pm
==Was his wife even qualified to get the lottery director position?==

She met Illinois standards: work for the national party, work for the state party, work for the local party.

Comment by Gabriel Wednesday, Dec 17, 08 @ 3:49 pm
JJJ cannot outrun his DNA.

Comment by You Go Boy Wednesday, Dec 17, 08 @ 5:09 pm
He is trying to save face and is hoping to not come across as the guy who offered a million dollars for a senate seat. He knows he will never lose his cong. seat but is trying to save a shot at something bigger. It’s not to be he is just making things up as he goes now. Trying to stay out in front of the story.

Comment by fed up Wednesday, Dec 17, 08 @ 7:17 pm
Carolyn adams had a backround in advertising and media; Sandy jackson none, so before you try to badmouth a lovely deceased women do your research. Jesse Jr. is following the fsmily trait of no moral compass like the time his dad was praying with President Clinton (i.e. Monica Lewinski) while bring his pregnant mistress to the the white house with him!

Comment by WHAT THE HECK Thursday, Dec 18, 08 @ 7:06 am