Jesse Jackson, Jr is 'Senate Candidate #5!'

[Shiver]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/12/09/senate-candidate-5-in-bla_n_149682.html

http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/ConductUnbecoming/story?id=6431739&page=1

ABC News' Brian Ross is reporting that Jesse Jackson, Jr. is "Senate Candidate #5" in the Blagojevich indictment:

Chicago Congressman Jesse Jackson, Jr. (D-IL) is the anonymous "Senate Candidate #5" whose emissaries Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich reportedly claimed offered up to a million dollars to name him to the U.S. Senate, federal law enforcement sources tell ABC News. <...>


Jackson Jr. said this morning he was contacted yesterday by federal prosecutors in Chicago who he said "asked me to come in and share with them my insights and thoughts about the selection process."

Jackson Jr. said "I don't know" when asked if he was Candidate #5, but said he was told "I am not a target of this investigation."

Jackson Jr. said he agreed to talk with federal investigators "as quickly as possible" after he consults with a lawyer.

The Congressman, a son of the famed civil rights leader, denied that anyone had been authorized to make payments or promises to the Governor on his behalf.

*****

Currently looking around for more verification to this...

[Tommy_Carcetti]

1. Republicans are going to have a field day with this, sadly. nt

[Shiver]

I'm still hoping that either it's not true,

or that Blago was grossly exaggerating what he thought he could get from Number Five...

[cali]

2. I really, really hope this isn''t true.

[babylonsister]

3. My opinion is that Blogo's word is mud; I don't believe a damned thing

he says, from yesterday until the man gets psychiatric help.

[Shiver]

4. Agreed

I think he may have been exaggerating what he thought he could get, not saying that he was promised it or anything.

[blondeatlast]

8. Exactly. nt

[blondeatlast]

5. When did idle speculation become worthy of "legitimate" news? I heard the same last night

(as well as another name mentioned as #1) but no corrboration from prosecutors means it's simple rumor IMHO.

[RB TexLa]

6. So you will believe that one politician would sell a senate seat but refuse to believe that a

another politician would buy one?

:shrug:

[Orsino]

16. Who's refusing?

:shrug:

[kentuck]

7. And wasn't Jesse,Jr Obama's campaign manager for Illinois?

Or what official position did he hold in the campaign? Here we go again!

[TexasObserver]

9. I was afraid of that the most. I figured he's one the GOP's targets.

If this was only about the governor, they would have taken him down a long time. Are we to believe they've been investigating him for three years and just NOW made a case they can assert?

This is intended to pull down a number of Democrats, and force some of them to roll on others.

Fitz is likely just a useful idiot, rather than the architect. Too bad he didn't find his "moral fortitude" in time for the Plame case.


(edited to make the easily injured happy)

[Captain Hilts]

10. You don't need to have "balls" to have moral fortitude. nt

[TexasObserver]

12. Chutzpah. Happy now?

[Captain Hilts]

13. That's awfully white of you! nt

[Shiver]

11. They didn't have the evidence on the governor until recently

They were only able to obtain wiretaps a few weeks ago, and the investigation only picked up a few months back when he tried to kill a piece of ethics legislation in the State Senate.

Investigations go on for as long as they have to - yes, sometimes even for three years and longer - until they can get the hard evidence they need.

[Critters2]

15. Someone is finally trying to clean this state up,

and Dems in other states are bitching about it. Nice.

[LaydeeBug]

14. Methinks he's in a world of shit then. nt