Investigation of Jesse Jackson Jr. stalled last year at request of Justice Dept.
---Ethics panel quiet on Jackson probe
September 23, 2010 Chicago Sun Times By NATASHA KORECKI
suntimes.com
The one-year deadline has passed for congressional ethics investigators to announce whether a probe into U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson will resume, and so far, the committee refuses to shed any light on the situation.
The Chicago Sun-Times first reported last year that congressional ethics investigators began an inquiry into Jackson regarding his entanglement with former Gov. Rod Blagojevich.
Congressional ethics investigators suspended its inquiry into U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson regarding his entanglement with former Gov. Rod Blagojevich at the request of authorities.
It was suspended in mid-September 2009 after authorities told them the inquiry might interfere with "pending criminal proceedings and ongoing investigation."
The Office of Congressional Ethic's third- and fourth-quarter 2009 reports note that "On September 16, 2009, the Standards Committee announced that the U.S. Department of Justice requested that the Committee defer consideration of this matter and the Committee voted to do so."
It also notes that the "Standards Committee must announce if deferral exceeds 1 year."
There has been no such announcement, and the committee spokesman has not returned calls for comment on the matter.
Last year, the ethics office said it was investigating whether Jackson used public resources -- in the form of his Chicago and Washington, D.C., staffs -- to vie for the appointment to President Obama's old U.S. Senate seat.
"Rep. Jackson may have violated federal law and House rules concerning the proper use of the member's representational allowance," the panel indicated.
It must now say whether it will continue its ethics inquiry or again defer the matter.
Experts say Jackson could fall under additional scrutiny due to new allegations reported by the Sun-Times this week.
The Sun-Times reported Tuesday that a major fund-raiser told authorities that Jackson directed him to offer $6 million in campaign money to Blagojevich in exchange for appointment to the U.S. Senate. The report also detailed trips that the same fund-raiser, Raghuveer Nayak, had bankrolled for a "social acquaintance" of the congressman -- allegedly at Jackson's request. The FBI subsequently interviewed the woman, Giovana Huidobro.
Jackson said it was "preposterous" to allege he discussed campaign money with Nayak. He did not address allegations that Nayak funded the trips, but asked that his relationship with the social acquaintance be kept a private matter. |
