Jesse Jackson Jr. Will Do Serious Prison Time

Ex-congressman had a taste for expensive clothes and memorabilia

During his nearly 17-year House career Jesse Jackson Jr. promoted himself as man of the people. The son and namesake of the famous civil rights leader represented a working class, South Side Chicago district, and was an advocate for liberal policies on jobs, health care and other issues

Behind closed doors, though, the Democratic rising star had surprisingly delicate tastes for pricy clothing and rare sports memorabilia, reports The New York Times. Jackson Jr. will soon have lots of time to consider the paradox when he heads to federal prison on corruption charges. Under a plea agreement with federal prosecutors that will send him away for up to five years, the former lawmaker admits used about $750,000 in campaign funds to buy items like a Michael Jackson fedora.

In a span of four years starting in 2007, Jackson Jr., amassed a collection of celebrity memorabilia, furs, jewelry and furniture. Working with an antiques dealer in Nevada and a furrier in Beverly Hills, Calif., Mr. Jackson bought a $5,000 football signed by United States presidents, two hats that once belonged to Michael Jackson - including a $4,600 fedora - and an $800 cape.

The government also filed charges Friday against Jackson Jr.'s wife, Sandi, accusing her of having filed false tax returns. She is expected to plead guilty and faces a maximum of three years in prison and a $100,000 fine.

Via The New York Times.

Do you trust your campaign contributions go to good use?

[drpeeper]

Congress needs a Vow of Poverty. Just remember, we pay their salaries and pensions and insurance for LIFE.

[Neo_NtheMatrix]

Good. He committed the crime, may the Lord let him do the time.

[PNWest]

Right on! Don't do the crime if you can't do the time! And that's the name of that tune! And you can take that to the bank! http://youtu.be/H9scg_Upqck...

[Jackie312gm]

Let's all be good Americans and wish him good time in the federal penn. Let's hope he learns a good lesson and does every year as agreed to. What a waste, he'll see now that money is nothing with out morals or ethics ...

[CPT_Ethanolic]

Now if we could start sending some bankers to jail.

[Sonny]

May the court system impose his sentence, if any. Just as it would do for any other US Citizen.

[DARSB]

It's hard to know where the money goes, no matter the candidate. The FEC has been effectively neutered for years and didn't have all that much clout to begin with, Citizens United made dark money even harder to see, and every state has its own idiosyncratic system.

For example, I helped a friend (a Republican friend, I hasten to point out) file campaign reports to the Colorado Secretary of State last election season. It was really a tortuous and arcane process and I'm not entirely sure we did everything exactly right - some of the rules seem contradictory and others were just incomprehensible.

[tomincali]

all in office need to be watched like a hawk,catch them doing anything not on the up and up yank them out and charge them.

[marine1]

jail birds of a feather lock up togeather

[albe]

Yes ,yes eyes and especially the so called little people should be protected as whistle blowers , the big wigs ,celebs in their own minds do get effected from the whole adulation, some even wistfully want to return to a lord master /serf society , why because benefits flow up. Many of these warped people don't get it.
A millionaire against raising minimum wage doesn't get it on TV show he hosted and couldn't see the economic effect of more purchasing power , wow.

[mudpike]

Now here is a case where the problem can truly be 'blamed on his childhood'. He is the son of one of the biggest shysyers , shake-down artists & 'POVERTY PIMPS of the last 50 years. It's a shame what some fathers teach their children .

[OhWiseOne]

Amen to that. The banana doesn't fall far from the tree.

[marine1]

everything chicago don't you know

[OhWiseOne]

I honestly believe that Illinois is the most corrupt state in the Union.

[Neo_NtheMatrix]

Don't forget NY and CA.

[PoliticalSpice]

@Neo_NtheMatrix Actually I have lived in both NY and Ca. Corruption was pretty well known in Ca. It was a reason so many, including me, voted Davis out of office. But what corruption is theor in NY. Only corruption I know of here, aside from NYPD was in the Gulliani administration. Please give some examples of NY corruption.

[OhWiseOne]

@PoliticalSpice Why are so many people moving out of NY and Cali?

[drpeeper]

@PoliticalSpice http://www.huffingtonpost.com/steven-cohen/th...

[drpeeper]

@PoliticalSpice LOL Guess you Missed Cuomo, Spitzer, Patterson........and on and on. Funny, those are all democrats.

[ctc]

Get serious....ankle monitor and six months house arrest....max.

[zachsquatch]

Some more Chicago style politics. We see how Obama does his thing, why should we expect more out of the guy that tried to buy his senate seat.

[mimi57]

Send in the NAACP...They'll be taking to the streets soon..Oh, the injustice!!!

[OhWiseOne]

Gots ta be raycism. LOL! Hopefully, Al Sharpton is next.

[Polusalo]

The only injustice here is that cape will never be worn in public!

When did capes go out of style?! I now want to wear one everywhere. And if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go purchase one.

[mimi57]

@Polusalo Go ahead and purchase one...The black populations biggest problems
don't come from Conservatives, they come from Libs who don't want them to wander
too far from the Plantation...hence all the government entitlements, thay do nothing
but keep the black pop. dependent on the government. It's in a very real sense, slavery! I was a bleeding heart Dem for most of my adult life...Socialism doesn't work, and having people dependent on the government is nothing short of cruelty.

[Polusalo]

@mimi57

o.o What's that have to do with a cape?

[mimi57]

@Polusalo Oh, so you are just buying a cape then? What color...my favorite color is pink, but I prefer to wear a lot of black and white and some pink. Let me know
what color you choose...don't get white, it's kinda tacky.( ;

[joyshusband]

I heard someone on the news talking about him being hospitalized recently for depression, hell I'd be depressed too if I was going to prison soon.

[OhWiseOne]

Where's Farraklown at? The Black Pansies? Jamie Foxx? Another black hero is going to college. Well, you know what I'm saying. LOL!

[PoliticalSpice]

It's pretty easy to know what you're saying. You're like a streo type of the klan man from an old civil rights movie.

[JustTheFacts]

Maybe when he gets out he'll run for president ... then all that crap is legit! He'd make the perfect liberal candidate in 2016 ... says one thing but does the exact opposite behind closed doors and loves to spend other people's money ... lol!

[seedtick]

This Chicago wingnut has already set himself up as mentally unstable. Hell, that's what many crooks do...when they know they are caught, they go crazy so they can get easy time in a hospital, or get the sympathy of the court and maybe a jury. I keep waiting for old Jessie Sr. to play the race card. Like I said before...the fruit doesn't fall far from the tree in the Jackson family.

[kathyparsell]

I haven't given money to a political cause in over 20 years. I will however work to help see someone I believe be elected. My extra money goes for those in dire need, and only then.

[stepped_in_it]

I bet the senior Jackson is very proud!

[scotta]

It is Bush's fault Jr. Got caught. He cut funding on how to steal from your war chest and not get caught.

[Thunderchicken]

Joliet Jessie? Ya gotta laugh at the land of Lincoln.(Unless you happen to live there.)

[happyhenry]

who care,s

[FollowTheMoney]

5 years isn't nearly long enough. This man stole 3/4 of a million dollars and betrayed the public's trust. Petty thief's get 5 years. I say give him 20 years, eligible for parole after 15 and a forfeiture of all assets. And ABSOLUTELY NO PENSION or any other government benefits!

[KRKelly]

And how much responsibilty does Jesse Jackson Sr. have in this matter? The Sr. has for decades extorted money from corporations with the threat of an Operation Rainbow boycott.