Former Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. was sentenced to 30 months
behind bars today and his wife, Sandi, got a year in prison for separate
felonies involving the misspending of about $750,000 in campaign funds.
Jesse, the 48-year-old son of civil rights leader Jesse
Jackson, had been a Democratic congressman from Illinois from 1995 until he
resigned last November. In an emotional speech to the judge during which he got
choked up and used tissues to blow his nose, he apologized and said he wanted
to "take responsibility for my actions."
"I misled the American people," he said.
The Jacksons will be allowed to serve their sentences one at
a time, with Jackson Jr. going first, based on the wishes of the family as
expressed by Dan Webb, an attorney for Sandi Jackson.
Jackson Jr. will report to prison on or after Nov. 1, the
judge said.
In addition to the 2.5 years in prison, Jackson Jr. was
sentenced to three years of supervised release. Sandi Jackson was ordered to
serve 12 months of supervised release following her prison term.
According to court papers in the case, Jackson used campaign
money to buy items including a $43,350 gold-plated men's Rolex watch.
Jackson tolld the judge when he entered his plea that
"for years I lived in my campaign."
Today, Jackson asked that his family, in particular his son
and daughter, not suffer because of his actions. He said he hoped his wife
would get probation and that if that wasn't available he would want to serve
her sentence for her.
"Give me her time," he said.
Jackson also asked to serve his time in Alabama, saying,
"I wanted to make it a little inconvenient for everybody to get to
me."
Jesse Jackson Jr. had pleaded guilty to the criminal charges
back in February. He admitted that he and his wife used campaign credit cards
to buy 3,100 personal items worth $582,772 from 2005 through April of last year
-- including $60,857 for personal expenditures at restaurants, nightclubs and
lounges; $16,058 for personal expenditures at sports clubs and lounges; $5,814
for alcohol and $14,513 for dry cleaning.
Individual campaign credit card purchases included a $466
dinner for two of "a personal nature" at a restaurant; a washer,
dryer, range and refrigerator for the Jacksons' Chicago home; multiple
flat-screen televisions, Blu-Ray DVD players and DVDs for their Washington,
D.C., home; and a five-day health retreat for one of Mrs. Jackson's relatives.
...and we say it's only in Nigeria these things happen.
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