Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. has returned home to Washington, D.C., after spending weeks at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota receiving treatment for bipolar disorder, one of his aides confirmed to TPM on Friday.
His return adds to a troubled summer for Jackson.
On June 10, Jackson reportedly collapsed at his home in the nation’s capital, and subsequently was rushed to a nearby hospital. But his medical problems only became public weeks later when his staff announced he had gone on medical leave.
Even after the announcement, those who were closest to Jackson refused to say where he was and what was wrong. His wife, Chicago Ald. Sandi Jackson, later said he spent weeks at a treatment center in Arizona, where he was diagnosed with mental health problems that she said were tied to a weight loss surgery he had years ago. Jackson finally surfaced publicly again in July at the renowned Mayo Clinic, which confirmed the congressman was being treated for bipolar disorder.
The Chicago Tribune reported on Friday afternoon that Jackson was back in Washington with his family. “He’s home with his wife and children and he’s convalescing,” chief of staff Rick Bryant told the newspaper.
Asked by TPM to confirm the report, Bryant replied by email: “true.”
Jackson won his primary earlier this year and is up for reelection in November.
Nick R. Martin
Nick Martin is an associate editor at TPM in New York City. He came to the site in 2011 as a reporter for TPMMuckraker. Previously, he worked in Arizona, first as a staff reporter for a local newspaper and later as a freelance journalist. He also ran the news blog Heat City. Contact him: nick [at] talkingpointsmemo.com
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