CHICAGO — The prospect of prison looms over former U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. and his wife after they agreed to plead guilty to charges in an alleged scheme to spend $750,000 in campaign funds on personal items — including furs, a gold watch, a football signed by U.S. presidents and even a hat once owned by Michael Jackson.
It wasn’t immediately clear how much time either Jackson could end up doing when the legal drama inevitably reaches its climax before a federal sentencing judge within a few months. But judges frown on brazen breaches of public trust, said one former federal prosecutor, and that may mean the former Chicago congressman will likely to have to serve at least a few years behind bars.
“It shows hubris and arrogance that a politician sees his campaign coffers as his to spend as likes,” said Jeff Cramer, who as an assistant U.S. attorney in Chicago worked on multiple corruption cases. “With these kinds of charges, I cannot imagine him not going to prison … for 3 1/2 or 4 1/2 years.”
He thought Sandi Jackson, at most, would spend several months in prison.
Prosecutors are reluctant to ask judges to send couples with school-age children, like the Jacksons, to prison for long terms at simultaneously — so it’s possible, Cramer said, that the government will seek to stagger their sentences in such a way that the Jacksons aren’t behind bars at the same time.
Read more at Official Wire. By Michael Tarm.
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Good for the judges . Put Obama in the same cell.
If Jesse Jackson Jr had a good role model instead of a father who was a shake down artist and racist maybe the kid would have turned out different Nah I don't think so the boy was born into corruption he watched how Sharpton ,Rangel,Watters and Oblameo got rich and he wanted his slice of the Chicago pie only him and his wife were to stupid coons.the boy even tried to blame it on bi-polar.But I believe he'll get community service and no jail time like Madoff got or other white people.
Jessie Jackson Jr. should get more than 31/2 years for what he has done, if not I would like ot know why Blagoyovitch got 14 years and there was no evidence, regardless of what that trainwreck of a Prosecutor said, there was no evidence and Blago didn't even have enough money ot pay for his first trial, no one asked him for a plea bargain either. Blago was railroaded and maybe there is nothing you can do about it now but Jesseie Jr. should get the same, forget his Father, he is in no position to seek leniency for his son, remember Mel Reynolds, ? people have a way of just being raillroaded out of chicago if they need the spot for somone else or if they have somethign to hide, change Blagos inhumane sentence,
Part 2 the Gov, before Blago got 61/2 years and he was caught dead to rights selling drivers licenses to illegals, he deserved what he got because a family of 6 were killed by a driver with one of Ryans illegal licenses and still , he got 61/2 years while blago got 14 years, the longest sentence ever passed out for what Blago supposedly did, did he actually do it? who knows, the judge certainly didnt' , he looked like he needed help remembering his own name. throw the book at JJ jr. ruining a mans life because of one slip is ridiculous, they tapped his phone for 7 years all 9 phones, and still no evidence, they have evidence tha tLessie wanted the senate seat and had two men from India go in and ask for it and offer to pay 1 million for it, Blago turned them sown but Jessie said he ad nothign to do wiht it, the indians said they woudl testify but no one brought it to trial. see hwo it works, ? how much did that phone tapping cost the state? Give a fellow American a break.
He won't serve a day in jail because Obutthole will commute his sentence like Slick did for Rich.