"As regards the allegations [concerning] The Reverend....
...he will have to defend himself."
- Jesse Jackson Jr.
on the 2000 Dept. of Justice report commissioned in the wake of the Guilty verdict in King Family vs. Jowers et al. (1999)., for the purpose of clearing "SCLC Minister" and "Memphis Minister" as accessories to Murder, April 4th, 1968
WASHINGTON – The end of the Jackson family political dynasty arrived Wednesday as a Chicago power couple ready-made for the cameras learned the next few years of their lives will be spent taking turns in prison.
Former U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr., the civil rights leader's son who once dreamed of becoming mayor or senator, and his wife, former 7th Ward Ald. Sandi Jackson, were tripped up by a taste for luxury that was bankrolled with $750,000 from campaign funds.
On their day of reckoning, the Jacksons brought up a host of personal struggles in an effort to inspire sympathy: his reported mental illness, her series of miscarriages, the plight of their two children if they lost their mother to prison.
In the end, the former congressman got 30 months in federal prison and could end up serving about five months less if he behaves behind bars. The former alderman got a year and stands to serve it all.
Jackson Jr. was given until at least Nov. 1 to begin his prison term.
Federal Judge Amy Berman Jackson said supporters of the former congressman — including his own father — had urged her in letters to put him on probation. If she were to do so, she said, it would appear as if there were two systems of justice, "one for the well-connected and one for everybody else."
"I cannot do it," she intoned. "And I will not do it."
She shot down the notion, brought up by the defense, that elected officials once considered campaign accounts to be retirement funds.
While acknowledging the good the Jacksons had done in office, she lambasted Jackson Jr.'s misdeeds as "knowing, organized, joint misconduct repeated and then covered up."
She said Sandi Jackson was not a spouse who passively received the ill-gotten gains of crimes but one who knowingly spent thousands illegally on her personal whims. The judge noted that Sandi Jackson had served variously as campaign treasurer, campaign manager and consultant for the congressman.
"You were a key player in the Jesse Jackson campaign. Together, you were the campaign," the judge told Sandi Jackson.
"You are standing here to be sentenced because of your own significant and illegal conduct," the judge said.
The Jacksons' sentences were lighter than prosecutors had recommended. They wanted four years for him and 18 months for her.
Defense lawyers wanted him to serve 18 months.
Sandi Jackson's lawyers did not get the probation they had sought for her, but they did get an order from the judge allowing her to remain free until her husband finishes serving his time.
[??? This is a ransom!!!]
In another break, Jackson Jr. won't have to return $750,000 to his campaign fund, but must pay a $750,000 forfeiture as agreed when he pleaded guilty in February.
Additionally, her plea deal called for her to pay $168,550, representing unpaid taxes, but the judge ordered her to pay only $22,000 in restitution. The sum represents money she misused from her own political accounts.
The Jacksons cried as they addressed the judge separately before sentencing.
"I didn't separate my personal life from my political activities, and I couldn't have been more wrong," said Jackson Jr., who paused to dry his eyes and blow his nose.
Jackson Jr. apologized for his crimes and expressed regrets to his mother and father.
"Your honor, throughout this process I've asked the government and the court to hold me and only me accountable for my actions," he said.
He said he hoped that his wife could earn enough money in his absence to keep the family together. "When I get back, I'll take on that burden," he said. "By then I hope my children will be old enough that the pain I caused will be easier to bear."
Sandi Jackson addressed the court after her husband. "I am a little nervous," she told the judge, "so I have a written statement that I would like to read to you."
She continued: "I want to begin by apologizing first to my family, to my friends, my community and my constituents for the actions that brought me here today."
She said she had caused "disappointment in my community" and had "put my family unit in peril."
"My heart breaks every day with the pain this has caused my babies," she continued, weeping. "I ask to be parent, provider and support system that my babies will require in the difficult months ahead."
Their children — a girl, 13, and a boy, 9 — were not in court.
When the former alderman lost her bid for freedom, defense attorney Dan Webb said she wished to serve her term in a correctional institution in Marianna, Fla. The minimum-security facility is a prison camp about 65 miles northwest of Tallahassee.
As for Jackson Jr., the judge said she would recommend he be placed in a federal prison camp in Alabama — he had stated that his first choice was one in Montgomery — or a prison in Butner, N.C. But the Bureau of Prisons will make the final call.
Earlier in the hearing, Jackson Jr.'s lawyer, Reid Weingarten, said his client felt "horror, shame and distress" over his wrongs.
But Weingarten also tried to downplay Jackson Jr.'s actions since he took money from his own campaign fund. It's not as if there are widows and orphans outside the courthouse who are victims and asking for his head, Weingarten said.
"This is not Madoff. This is not a Ponzi scheme," the lawyer said. Bernard Madoff, now imprisoned in the Butner facility, is a financier whose Ponzi scheme led investors to lose their fortunes.
Weingarten said Jackson Jr. "suffers from a very, very serious mental health disease." He identified the former congressman's illness as bipolar disorder and said it was relevant even though "we didn't plead guilty by reason of insanity."
Matt Graves, an assistant U.S. attorney, countered that Jackson Jr.'s crimes represented one of the largest cases of theft from a campaign treasury ever prosecuted.
Graves took a shot at Jackson Jr.'s reported bipolar disorder, saying when mental health issues are litigated in court, usually there is expert testimony, discovery and an examination of the defendant — and that none had occurred in the case.
"When one looks at the facts," Graves said, "it's quite clear that there's no there there."
He decried Jackson Jr.'s "wasted talent" and "what he threw away."
Graves said Sandi Jackson's crimes were serious and had occurred over many years. He noted that defendants with children were given prison terms in courts across the country.
Jackson Jr., 48, pleaded guilty to a felony conspiracy count. Sandi Jackson, 49, his co-conspirator, pleaded guilty to a separate count of failing to report about $600,000 in income on tax returns.
The hearing Wednesday took 41/2 hours. When the Jacksons arrived at the courthouse Wednesday morning and emerged from a white Toyota Sequoia SUV, they held hands. With them was Judy Smith, a crisis communications expert and former federal prosecutor whose work inspired the TV show "Scandal."
Jackson Jr., wearing a dark suit, white shirt and blue tie, grimaced. Sandi Jackson, in a beige ensemble, smiled broadly.
The former congressman's father, the Rev. Jesse Jackson, had arrived earlier with his wife and his other children. Speaking with reporters, he reflected on his son's bipolar disorder. "I don't know how I missed so many signs," he said. "We found out he was sick very late. We thought we almost lost him. He was in a different place altogether."
"He was very sick," the father added. "People speculating, 'Is he faking it?' No, he's not."
The Jacksons, both Democrats, pleaded guilty after an illegal spending spree that included a $43,000 men's Rolex watch, furs and cashmere, vacations, two mounted elk heads and memorabilia ranging from a Michael Jackson fedora to an Eddie Van Halen guitar.
The first clear sign that Jackson Jr. was in serious trouble came in June 2012 when he began a mysterious medical leave of absence from Congress. His office initially said he was suffering from exhaustion, but his lawyers later said he was being treated for severe depression and bipolar disorder.
He never returned to work, and reports that he was under investigation soon followed. But he won re-election in November without campaigning. Jackson Jr., who entered Congress in 1995, resigned a few weeks after the election victory.
Sandi Jackson was on the Chicago City Council from 2007 until January, when she resigned.
As the once-promising couple left the courthouse Wednesday, Jackson Jr. tried to have the last word.
"I still believe in the power of forgiveness," he said. "I believe in the power of redemption. Today I manned up and tried to accept responsibility for the errors of my ways. And I still believe in the resurrection."
But a heckler got in a final jab.
Jacques Chevalier, 58, of Washington, who described himself as a landlord, said he had watched the hearings from an overflow room for spectators.
"Please leave D.C.," he shouted at the Jacksons. "We don't need your kind here no more. And this is a black man speaking
Can you figure out from this what he did wrong...? Other than support Obama as his campaign manager and out his father...?
Jr and his wife are both serving 14 years in the Illinois Penal System under Rahm Emanuel....
(The Rev. absolutely threw Jesse Junior under the bus, by the way - absolutely shameless.)
The speech "talking down to black people" by emphasising Faith Based Initiatives occurred in a series of speeches delivered in Chicago Churches.
And Jesse Jackson's own political career (such as it is) is leveraged on his status as a Baptist Minister.*
This was at a time when Jesse's son was Barack Obama's Deputy Campaign Manager.
*As well as having murdered/helped murder Martin Luther King Jr.
"Jesse Jackson is not the Emperor of Black People!"
"He told my Dad he was...."
Who's blood is that, Jesse...?
Steve Cokely - The Murder of Dr Martin Luther King, feat. William F. Pepper from Spike1138 on Vimeo.
Cut off a little at the end - sorry.
"As regards the allegations [concerning] The Reverend....
...he will have to defend himself."
- Jesse Jackson Jr.
on the 2000 Dept. of Justice report commissioned in the wake of the Guilty verdict in King Family vs. Jowers et al. (1999)., for the purpose of clearing "SCLC Minister" and "Memphis Minister" as accessories to Murder, April 4th, 1968
Jesse Jackson Jr. is mentally ill.
Jesse Jackson Jr. is "crazy"
"As regards the allegations [concerning] The Reverend....
...he will have to defend himself."
- Jesse Jackson Jr.
on the 2000 Dept. of Justice report commissioned in the wake of the Guilty verdict in King Family vs. Jowers et al. (1999)., for the purpose of clearing "SCLC Minister" and "Memphis Minister" as accessories to Murder, April 4th, 1968
Now, this statement is extremely interesting.
Because it provides tangible (and testable) physical evidence as well as good cause to suspect that Jesse Jr. has been poisoned - and over a considerable period of time, since at least 2004, when he would have been the campaign manager for Barack Obama's Illinois Senate Campaign.
A period of time when we know (categorically), thanks to Russ Tice, he and Barack both were being invasively wiretapped by the NSA under the "President's program", authorised under Executive Order by President Bush - after all, these two men were negros, and one of them was named "Hussain"... They needed to be watched like hawks.
And Colin Powell.
Who was scheduled to be in Columbia on the day of 9/11, since he was believed to have been perceived as "a potential wobbler".
This is J.Edgar Hoover's wet dream.
On the plus side, at least we now know Obama must be absolutely and completely spotless clean - no skeletons, HIV, dead hookers or gay bath houses lurking in his closet,,,,
Sorry, Jesse. Nice try.
The NSA warrantless surveillance controversy ("warrantless wiretapping") concerns surveillance of persons within the United States during the collection of foreign intelligence by the U.S. National Security Agency (NSA) as part of the War of Terror.
Under this program, referred to by the Bush administration as the "terrorist surveillance program", part of the broader President's Surveillance Program, the NSA was authorized by executive order to monitor, without search warrants, the phone calls, Internet activity (Web, e-mail, etc.), text messaging, and other communication involving any party believed by the NSA to be outside the U.S., even if the other end of the communication lies within the U.S.
Critics, however, claimed that that the program was in an effort to attempt to silence critics of the "W" Bush Administration and their handling of several hot button issues during its tenure. Under public pressure, the Bush administration ceased the warrantless wiretapping program in January 2007 and returned review of surveillance to the FISA court.
Subsequently, in 2008 Congress passed the FISA Amendments Act of 2008, which relaxed some of the original FISA court requirements.
During the Obama Administration, the NSA has officially continued operating under the new FISA guidelines.
However, in April 2009 officials at the United States Department of Justice acknowledged that the NSA had engaged in "overcollection" of domestic communications in excess of the FISA court's authority, but claimed that the acts were unintentional and had since been rectified
“We Don’t Want a Word on Your Allegations Pertaining to NSA Wiretapping of Obama, Judges & Activists”
- MSNBC
Today MSNBC aired an interview with Mr. Tice disclosing “some” of his revelations, thanks to the vigilant activists who tirelessly shared and disseminated Mr. Tice’s revelations and interview audio. Interestingly, at the last minute, MSNBC told Mr. Tice that they would NOT include his revelations on NSA’s targeting of Obama, elected officials, attorneys, judges and activists. Basically, they censored his entire testimony on these stunning allegations! In a correspondence with Boiling Frogs Post immediately following his censored interview with MSNBC Mr. Tice stated:
“When they were placing the ear-phone in my ear with less than ten minutes left till my air time, the producer in New York said that their lawyers were discussing the material, and at this time, they did not want me to mention anything about the NSA wiretaps against all the people and organizations that I mentioned. That is how it went down. I did say on the air that I know it is much worse and would like to talk about that some time.”
Can you figure out from this what he did wrong...? Other than support Obama as his campaign manager and out his father...?
Jr and his wife are both serving 14 years in the Illinois Penal System under Rahm Emanuel....
(The Rev. absolutely threw Jesse Junior under the bus, by the way - absolutely shameless.)
Bro. Dick Gregory on Jesse Jackson, Jr.'s Revelations of "Mental Illness" & Criminality - and John McCain from Spike1138 on Vimeo.
"His Wall Street thing....?"
You mean Rahm's buddies at Goldman...?
Wait, only the Wall Street Journal wanted to run a front page story of an allegedly corrupt black congressman's tragic fall from grace...? One who was Obama's CAMPAIGN MANAGER...?
They must still have the HANDS OFF JESSE JACKSON Memos pinned up all round the newsroom...
The rise and fall of Jesse Jackson Jr.
The political career of Jesse L. Jackson Jr. on Wednesday essentially came to an end — at least for the immediate future — as the former Illinois Democratic congressman pleaded guilty to criminal charges against him and admitted using campaign funds to benefit himself and his wife.
Rep. Jesse Jackson, Jr. (D-Ill.) waves on the steps of the U.S. Capitol. (YURI GRIPAS/REUTERS )
The guilty plea caps a remarkable turn for a politician born into an active political family who many believed was destined to serve in Chicago City Hall, or the U.S. Senate, if not the White House.
The former congressman was born in 1965, in Greenville, S.C., while his father, civil rights leader Rev. Jesse Jackson, was on the march to Selma. The Washington Post has documented Jackson’s recent travails in several worthy reads, including an October profile by Manuel Roig-Franzia and two stories by Paul Kane, at the start — and conclusion — of Jackson’s most recent travails.
Here’s a quick recap of Jackson’s rise and fall:
1989-1995: Jackson launches his political career as president of the Keep Hope Alive PAC, a job he held from 1989 to 1990. He then served as vice president of Operation PUSH (1991 to 1995) and as national field director for the National Rainbow Coalition (1993 to 1995).
1995: Jackson launches his campaign for Congress when Rep. Mel Reynolds (D) resigns after his conviction for sexual assault stemming from a relationship with a teenager. Jackson prevails in a primary challenge and scores an easy victory in the general election.
1995-2012: As the representative of the Illinois 2nd Congressional District, Jackson uses a seat on the House Appropriations Committee to bring home roughly $600 million in federal funds. Picking up on an issue of Windy City concern, Jackson fought for the construction of a third Chicago airport, the proposed Abraham Lincoln National Airport, but the project never materialized.
A reliable liberal, Jackson voted with the Democratic caucus 97 percent of the time. He joined House Democrats in pushing for the impeachment of George W. Bush over his handling of the Iraq war, opposed the 2008 financial industry bailout and fought to abolish the Electoral College and for a constitutional amendment guaranteeing high-quality public education for all U.S. citizens.
December, 2004: Jackson undergoes a surgical procedure known as a “duodenal switch” that removes a large section of his digestive tract and helps him lose weight. He did not publicly disclose the surgery until several months later, saying in a 2005 interview that he lost 50 pounds through a strict diet. Observers initially speculated that Jackson’s later diagnosis of bipolar disorder was tied to his surgery, but doctors denied those suggestions.
During the 2008 presidential campaign cycle: Jackson was an early supporter of then-Sen. Barack Obama’s presidential campaign and bucked the advice of his father and senior members of the Congressional Black Caucus who backed Hillary Rodham Clinton
As Paul Kane wrote, Jackson’s support for Obama “wasn’t just about passing the torch to the next crop of black leaders; it was also about Jackson’s ambition. By the summer of 2008, he was among a handful of Illinois politicians courting the Senate appointment as Obama secured the nomination and then took a commanding lead in the general-election campaign.”
April, 2009: Jackson announces that he’s the subject of an Office of Congressional Ethics inquiry into his role in attempting to succeed Obama in the Senate. Jackson was referred to in the media as “Candidate A” in the April 2, 2009, indictment of then-Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich (D-Ill.), which alleged that a Jackson emissary discussed raising money for the governor in exchange for promoting Jackson to the Senate seat.
June, 2010: Jackson’s wife, Chicago Alderman Sandi Jackson, reveals that her husband had an affair with a Washington nightclub hostess, something he later called “a private and personal matter between me and my wife.”
June 8, 2012: Jackson casts his final vote in the House, according to The Washington Post Votes Database. Over the course of his congressional career, Jackson missed only a handful of votes.
June 25, 2012: Jackson’s office formally announces that he’s been on medical leave since June 10.
July 7, 2012: Jackson’s office reveals that the congressman is being treated for a mood disorder. News reports later confirm he is at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota.
Aug. 17, 2012: Aides release a photograph of Jackson visiting with former Rep. Patrick Kennedy (D-Mass.). Both men have much in common as the sons of famous political fathers, who launched their own political careers and later sought treatment for mental illness.
Sept. 19, 2012: Jackson announces he is selling his multimillion dollar Dupont Circle-area home to help defray medical costs.
Nov. 21, 2012: Jackson formally resigns from Congress and signals in an emotional resignation letter that he is in talks with the Justice Department about striking a plea agreement.
Feb. 20, 2013: In federal court, Jackson admits to spending approximately $750,000 in campaign money on high-end items, including a Rolex watch, furs and pop-culture memorabilia. He pleaded guilty to one felony count of conspiracy to commit false statements, mail fraud and wire fraud and faces a federal prison sentence ranging from 46 to 57 months.
As he leaves the courtroom, Jackson sees veteran Chicago political reporter Lynn Sweetand tells her: “Tell everybody back home, I’m sorry I let them down, okay?”
Oh, and Bill Pepper is working on a third and final book on the King Assassination.
And unlike Orders to Kill, and Act of State - this one directly addresses Jesse Jackson's role and will reveal to the whole world for the first time exactly who Jesse Jackson actually is...
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