Jesse Jackson Jr. has been a mess for months and just won reelection to the House of Representatives from rehab. We haven't heard from him in nearly six months. He went into hiding due to what he described as "health issues," but has been investigated by the feds for misusing campaign funds. He has also been investigated for being caught up in the Rod Blagojevich saga and is suspected of trying to help sell President Obama's former U.S. Senate seat. Today, according to a Chicago Fox affiliate, Jackson will break his silence.
There have been lots of questions about what Jesse Jackson Jr. will do on the heels of his re-election and his federal probe, but now sources tell Fox 32 News that after six months of not talking about his career in politics, the embattled congressman is going to break his silence Wednesday morning at 10 o'clock.
Sources tell Fox 32 News that the congressman is supposed to be on a conference call at both his Washington D.C. and Chicago offices with some workers, while others will receive an e-mail about his future plans in politics---and possibly the details of his plea bargain with the federal government.
The congressman has held the seat in the 2nd congressional district since 1995.
Last week, Fox 32 reported that congressman Jackson was holding back on a letter of resignation because, after checking out of the Mayo Clinic in mid-October where he was being treated for bi-polar disorder, Jackson applied for a disability package. Denying or approving that congressional request would have taken four to six weeks.
Sources say he has been working on a plea deal that could include giving up his seat for health reasons. He's likely to plead "guilty" for allegedly using $20,000 in campaign funds to remodel his Chicago home $42,000 to purchase a watch.
Just yesterday the Washington Post was asking, "Where is he?" and the New York Daily News pointed out days ago Jackson's re-disappearance from the public sphere after winning reelection.
Questions about Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr.'s health and political future swirled again Tuesday as the Chicago congressman left the Mayo Clinic for the second time but didn't disclose where he was going, even as Congress returned from a seven-week election break.
The Democrat, who was easily re-elected last week, has been on a hushed medical leave since June for treatment of bipolar disorder and other medical issues. Neither his staff nor his family has given updates about when or if he's expected to return to work.
The latest development in Jackson's mysterious absence comes amid a continuing House Ethics Committee investigation into his dealings with imprisoned ex-Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich, along with reports of a new federal probe into possible misuse of campaign money and pressure from Illinois' top public officials for an update.
"Given the election is over, I think it's important for him to tell his constituents and tell the public where he stands," Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn said Tuesday at an unrelated event. "It's time for him to speak."
The man won reelection while being under two federal investigations and will most likely agree to jail time as part of a plea bargain. Welcome to Illinois.
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