Attorney Says Jesse Jackson Jr. Is Likely 'Candidate 5' in Governor CaseRep. Jesse Jackson Jr.'s attorney says his client is probably the 'Senate Candidate 5' identified in an FBI complaint against Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich, who has been accused of trying to sell the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by President-elect Barack Obama.
FOXNews.comWednesday, December 10, 2008
The attorney for Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. said Wednesday that he believes his client is the "Senate Candidate 5" mentioned in the FBI complaint against Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich, who is accused of a "pay-to-play" scheme to fill the U.S. Senate seat vacated by President-elect Barack Obama.
ABC News on Wednesday earlier quoted federal law enforcement sources saying the son of the civil rights leader is the candidate identified by the FBI as willing to spend up to $1 million to secure the Senate seat.
Attorney James Montgomery Sr. said it's possible somebody set up Jackson, but emphasized that he is not suggesting Jackson is guilty of any crime. He said Jackson made no illicit approach to Blagojevich about Obama's seat.
Jackson, who has expressed interest in being appointed to the post, is holding a press conference at 4:15 p.m. ET to respond to the suggestion, and has denied any wrongdoing.
Watch FOX News and FOXNews.com at 4:15 p.m. ET for Rep. Jesse Jackson's interview.
Jackson told ABC News that he did not authorize anyone to make payments or promises on his behalf to the governor, and he is going to meet with federal prosecutors "as quickly as possible" after consulting with lawyers.
"It is impossible for someone on my behalf to have a conversation that would suggest any type of quid pro quo or any payments or offers," Jackson told ABC News. "An impossibility to an absolute certainty."
Jackson said federal prosecutors in Chicago "asked me to come in and share with them my insights and thoughts about the selection process." He told the news network he doesn't know if he is Senate Candidate 5, but he said he was told he is not a target of this investigation.
Senate Candidate 5 is listed in the FBI complaint, which includes a compendium of wiretapped conversations involving Blagojevich and his allies, as being named by the governor as an option for Obama's Senate seat because he would pay or raise money to Blagojevich's re-election campaign.
According to the affidavit, in a Dec. 4 recording of Blagojevich with an unnamed adviser and unnamed fundraiser, the governor says he may be able to cut a deal with Senate Candidate 5 that provides Blagojevich with something "tangible up front."
If Blagojevich ran for re-election, Senate Candidate 5 would "raise money" for the campaign, the affidavit alleges.
"Blagojevich said he might 'get some (money) up front, maybe' from Senate Candidate
5 to insure Senate Candidate 5 kept his promise about raising money for Rod Blagojevich. (In a recorded conversation on October 31, 2008, Rod Blagojevich described an earlier approach by an associate of Senate Candidate Five as follows: 'We were approached "pay to play." That, you know, he'd raise me 500 grand. An emissary came. Then the other guy would raise a million, if I made him (Senate Candidate 5) a senator.')," the affidavit reads.
"Blagojevich allegedly told Fundraiser A to tell Individual D that if Senate Candidate 5 is going to be chosen, 'some of this stuff's gotta start happening now ... right now ... and we gotta see it,'" the complaint continues.
In the affidavit, Blagojevich also allegedly says that unless Obama helps his wife get a seat on a corporate or nonprofit board, he will appoint Senate Candidate 5, rather than Senate Candidate 1, who has been reported to be Obama adviser Valerie Jarrett. Jarrett is joining the White House staff.
Blagojevich is also quoted allegedly saying on Nov. 11 that he will appoint Senate Candidate 1. "But if they feel like they can do this and not f---ing give me anything . . . then I'll f---ing go" with Senate Candidate 5.
Jackson, 43, joined the House in 1995, succeeding Rep. Mel Reynolds, who resigned after his conviction on charges of sexual assault, obstruction of justice and solicitation of child pornography involved a 16-year-old girl who worked on his campaign.
Jackson said Tuesday that he met with Blagojevich on Monday "for the first time in years."
"If these allegations are proved true, I am outraged by the appalling, pay-to-play schemes hatched at the highest levels of our state government. Sadly, today's criminal complaint casts another dark, wide cloud over our state. The people of Illinois deserve better," Jackson said in a statement.
"I've worked to make this ongoing senate selection process more open, transparent and merit-based. So, I'm deeply concerned that this process may have been tainted," he added.
Jackson was expected to travel to Washington, D.C., on Wednesday for an event Thursday and Friday hosted by his father's Rainbow Push Coalition.
The office of U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald, who is prosecuting the case, would not say whether Jackson is Senate Candidate 5. The FBI referred all comments to Fitzgerald's office.
