It seemed somewhat hard to believe that Jesse Jackson Jr. could have been unaware of his political allies allegedly offering donations to Blagojevich in exchange for Obama's former Senate seat. Most people err on the side of guilt when it comes to politicians and ethical lapses, for better or for worse. But a report from a Chicago ABC affiliate suggests that Jackson may actually have been telling the truth. It appears that Jackson had previously cooperated with the Feds in building a case against the Illinois governor:
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.
The meeting in June of 2006 at a Gold Coast hotel included Congressman Jesse Jackson, Jr. and Blagojevich fundraiser Antoin "Tony" Rezko.
The topic was a proposed third airport at Peotone, Jackson's pet project which needed more state money. Rezko allegedly demanded that the governor be given control of the airport's board. Jackson refused and state support for the project stopped.
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.
Not only that, but Jackson had refused pay-to-play in the past:
And sources tell ABC7 that Jackson has been in regular contact with the feds and has told the government that in 2003 Blagojevich denied the congressman's wife Sandi an appointment as Illinois lottery director because Jackson would not donate $25,000 to the governor's campaign fund.
It seems highly unlikely that Jackson, having gone to the Feds in the past about Blagojevich, and having refused to pay-to-play on prior occasions, would have subsequently involved himself in one of Blagojevich's schemes. The ABC report notes Fitzgerald's advice from last week:
"There may be people who had no idea what was going on...who had no idea they were being discussed," said Patrick Fitzgerald, U.S. attorney. "We ask that the press in particular not cast aspersions. This complaint is only about the two people who were charged."
I don't suppose many people have taken that to heart.
-- A. Serwer
