If you're interested in a breakdown of what they spent $750,000 on this link has a list if you scroll down.Jesse Jackson Jr pleads guilty to graft
Former congressman admits he misused $750,000 in campaign funds to "finance extravagant lifestyle".
Jesse Jackson Jr, a former US congressman and the son of a prominent civil rights leader, has pleaded guilty to criminal charges that he misused $750,000 in campaign funds by spending it on personal items during the last seven years.
Jackson faces up to five years in prison and a fine under the terms of his deal with prosecutors. His wife, Sandra Jackson, also pleaded guilty on Wednesday to charges of filing false joint federal income tax returns.
Sandra Jackson, who was a member of the Chicago city council until her resignation last month, admitted that from 2006 to 2012 she failed to report $600,000 in income that she and her husband earned from 2005 to 2011.
The list of items purchased with campaign funds includes a $43,350 gold-plated men's Rolex watch and nearly $10,000 worth of children's furniture. His wife spent $5,150 on fur capes and parkas, the court documents said. The tab for personal expenditures at restaurants, nightclubs and lounges cost ran to more than $60,000.
Under the plea deal, Jackson must forfeit $750,000, plus tens of thousands of dollars' worth of memorabilia items and furs.
Before entering the plea, Jesse Jackson told the judge that he had "never been more clear in my life" in his decision to plead guilty. He added later, "Sir, for years I lived in my campaign," and said he used money from the campaign for personal use.
'Tragic' case
US attorney Ronald Machen called the case "nothing short of tragic".
"Jesse Jackson Jr. entered public life with unlimited potential, but squandered his bright future by engaging in a self-destructive course of conduct that was staggering in both degree and scope," Machen said.
"For seven years, Mr Jackson betrayed the very people he inspired by stealing their campaign donations to finance his extravagant lifestyle.''
Jackson had been a Democratic congressman from Illinois from 1995 until he resigned last November, and was considered a bright political figure with a shot at higher office. His father, Jesse Jackson, is a prominent civil rights campaigner.
Jackson and his wife are both scheduled to be sentenced this summer, and remain free until then.
I've loathed and despised the Jackson family for decades. Jackson Sr. exploited the death of Martin Luther King, Jr. to bring attention to himself and help launch his career. He fancied himself a black version of Joe Kennedy (another nasty man in US politics) which is why he was so furious when Obama became the first black president instead of himself or his son. It's been known for a long time the whole family is dirty as fuck and corrupt as hell, maybe doing something here or there for a constituent but basically sucking off their district and political funds, as demonstrated here. Back when Jesse Jr. exiled himself to the Mayo clinic there was speculation that he would use the excuse of mental illness to mitigate legal charges although the prosecution says that won't cut it because the abuse was so long and, in their words "so well thought out". Jesse Jr. was involved with the Blagoevich attempt to sell Obama's old senate seat, which hasn't even been brought up yet in court but most likely will come to light eventually.
I say stick him in the "governor's wing" of the pen (so named because of how goddamned many Illinois governors have been incarcerated there) along with all the other bipedal pieces of shit that pass for politicians around here. There's still a lot of house cleaning to be done in this area but some of the big names are finally going down.
