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Jackson Has Been Talking To Feds About Blagojevich Since The Summer
Looks like Jesse Jackson has been cooperating with Pat Fitzgerald's probe of Rod Blagojevich for longer than we knew.
The Associated Press reports:
A spokesman for Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. tells The Associated Press the congressman has been talking to federal investigators about his dealings with Gov. Rod Blagojevich (bluh-GOY'-uh-vich) since summertime.Spokesman Rick Bryant wouldn't give details of those discussions Tuesday morning.
But a report from WLS-TV in Chicago cites unidentified sources as saying Jackson has told investigators Blagojevich wouldn't appoint Jackson's wife as state lottery director because Jackson wouldn't donate $25,000 to the governor's campaign fund.
Jackson has admitted to being "Senate Candidate 5" identified in the charging document against the Illinois governor. Blagojevich says in a recorded conversation that an "emissary" from Candidate 5 proposed a "pay to play" deal for Barack Obama's vacated Senate seat.
Late update: In fact, Jackson's cooperation may have gone on for much longer than that. CNN reports:
Rep. Jesse Jackson, Jr. has served as an informant to the U.S. attorney's office in Illinois, two sources close to Jackson tell CNN.Jackson has served as an informant for more than a decade and has relayed information relating to embattled Gov. Rod Blagojevich since 2006, the sources said.
Josh
Zachary
That could pivot media sentiment re Jackson and the Senate seat by almost 180 degrees!
December 16, 2008 4:09 PM | Reply | Permalink
My thoughts exactly!
December 16, 2008 4:13 PM | Reply | Permalink
Yes, but . . . why was he seeking to have his wife appointed as the state lottery director? Sounds kinda sleazy to me, or at least not Clean Gene politics.
December 16, 2008 4:18 PM | Reply | Permalink
What about the benefit Jackson's brother arranged to raise 500k for the governor, supposedly in exchange for Obama's senate seat for Jesse, Jr? Did anyone else see that? If it's true, I can't imagine either brother surviving this.
December 16, 2008 4:22 PM | Reply | Permalink
Soooooo JJJr didn't wanna pay Blago 25,000 but he was willing to pay 1.5 million.... This is why some people don't like snitching because JJJr thought he was doing the right thing by helping the Feds,but they didn't help JJJr, rather left him holding the ball......................
December 16, 2008 4:24 PM | Reply | Permalink
It would seem to me that there is absolutly NO WAY that Obama & co. DIDN'T know that their conversations w/ the Gov. were being recorded. If JJ Jr. was aware of an investigation, then wouldn't you think he would tell his friend (Obama) who happens to have the most to lose? I would say that it will be clear that the Obama campaign was assisting the investigation, purposefully instigating the Gov. into further implicating himself. With the disipline that Obama's campaign was run, I find that this is among the more plausable scenarios.
December 16, 2008 4:45 PM | Reply | Permalink
This is exactly the kind of backstabbing that makes me get up to defend Rod Blagojevitch. Aren't all of us liberal democrats in it together? What about standing up for Rod Blagojevich? He's a two-time governor of one of the most important blue states in the union. He hasn't been convicted of anything yet. We need to give him a chance. The folks at http://www.freerodblagojevitch.com have gotten it right, however. LOL.
December 17, 2008 11:19 AM | Reply | Permalink
"Jackson has served as an informant for more than a decade"
Huh? Wow! Why? What? Huh?
-AF
Andrew Sullivan Is A Fraud
December 17, 2008 1:17 PM | Reply | Permalink