Dec 10, 2008 9:06 pm US/Central
Jesse Jackson Jr. Is 'Senate Candidate 5'
Congressman Denies Any Wrongdoing
CHICAGO (CBS) ―
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Rep. Jessie Jackson Jr. (D-IL) addresses a news conference at the U.S. Capitol on Dec.10, 2008, in Washington, D.C.
Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
Congressman Jesse Jackson Jr. says he'd make a good senator, but that he didn't try to buy a Senate seat.
As CBS 2's Derrick Blakley reports, Jackson Jr.'s attorney says he has no doubt that the congressman is the figure identified by federal prosecutors as "Senate Candidate #5." On federal wiretaps, Blagojevich claims representatives of that candidate offered to trade cash for the Obama Senate seat.
But Wednesday afternoon, Jackson portrayed himself as a victim of Blagojevich, not his co-conspirator.
"I didn't know that the governor and his cronies were attempting to use the process to extort money in a blatant pay-to-play scheme," Jackson said.
At a packed Washington news conference, Jesse Jackson Jr. said he was shocked at federal allegations that Rod Blagojevich was scheming to sell the Obama Senate seat, and that he has no part in trying to buy it.
"I reject and denounce pay-to-play and have had no involvement," Jackson said.
Federal phone wiretaps recorded Rod Blagojevich speaking about a conversation with an associate of a "Senate Candidate #5."
"We were approached pay-to-play. That, you know, he'd raise me $500,000," Blagojevich said. "An emissary came. Then the other guy would raise a million if I made him, Senate Candidate #5, a senator."
Today, Jackson denied knowledge of anything of the sort.
"I never sent a message or an emissary to the governor to make an offer to plead my case or to propose a deal about a U.S. Senate seat. Period," Jackson said.
In Chicago, Jackson's attorney James Montgomery offered another theory: that someone may have posed as Jackson's confidante.
"Politicians and fundraisers do some very strange things from time to time," Montgomery said. "And I wouldn't put it beyond someone to be purporting to represent Jesse without authority."
Jackson Jr. says he hadn't spoken to the governor in four years, adding the first time he met with him was Tuesday, to discuss his qualifications for the Senate seat.
Blagojevich and Jackson met for 90 minutes discuss Jackson's Senate bid, and Jackson said no talk of pay-to-play developed. Jackson took no questions today, but Montgomery spoke of his emotional reaction.
"It's an alarming thing. He is outraged by the fact that his name has been made complicit of this nature," Montgomery said.
"I spoke to the U.S. attorney's office on Tuesday," Jackson said. "They shared with me that I am not a target of this investigation."
CBS 2 Legal Analyst Irv Miller says if the congressman was part of the investigation, he would have never held a news conference.
"His actions, in what he did today, speak loudly as to what his involvement or lack of involvement is," Miller said. "He's agreed to cooperate, that means in fact, he was told he's not a target and really has nothing to worry about in this case."
Jackson said he believed he deserved Senate consideration on his merits. He is the second longest-serving Democrat congressman in Illinois – missing only two congressional votes in 13 years.
"I hope that the people of the state of Illinois and the people of our country will measure me based upon the content of my character," Jackson said.
The Illinois general assembly reconvenes next Monday in an emergency session to begin action on legislation that would require a special election to fill President-elect Barack Obama's now-vacant U.S. senate seat, stripping the governor of his sole power to appoint a replacement.
Congressman Mark Kirk said Wednesday morning that he believes "Senate Candidate #5" could face criminal charges if he or she played an active role in the conspiracy to buy and sell a Senate seat.
Congressman Jackson will meet with federal law enforcement officials on either Friday or Monday to discuss what he knows about the Senate selection process. Jackson Jr. says he looks forward to fully cooperating in this federal investigation.
CBS 2's Suzanne Le Mignot, Derrick Blakley and Political Editor Mike Flannery contributed to this report.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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