TPM is reporting that former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich's recent conviction on 17 of 20 corruption charges might mean the House Ethics Committee probe into allegations against Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. (D-Ill.) could get under way soon. Ryan J. Reilly reports that in November, the House Ethics Committee deferred taking any action in the Jackson matter at the request of the Justice Department. Federal officials had requested House staffers put off the matter until the DOJ's prosecution had wrapped up.
Jackson had been accused of telling one of his major campaign donors to give money to Blagojevich so that the then Illinois governor would appoint Jackson to the Senate seat left empty by President Barack Obama.
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Jackson was called to testify in Blagojevich's trial but said he didn't know anything about the offer his supporters allegedly made to the former governor to appoint Jackson to the seat.
Is this a case of Blagojevich throwing Jackson Jr. under the bus, or did Jackson really not know about the behind-the-scenes shenanigans regarding Obama's former U.S. Senate seat? If the Department of Justice proceeds with a case against Jackson, one of two things will happen: He will get the opportunity to clear his name or he will join Blago as a disgraced politician. Time will tell how this story will end.
Read more at TPM.
In other news: Milwaukee: 34 Percent of Black Men Unemployed.
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