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WASHINGTON – Former Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. was sentenced today to 30 months behind bars and his wife, Sandi, got a year in prison for separate felonies involving the misspending of about $750,000 in campaign funds. 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...

Ex-Congressman Apologizes to Family for Misusing Campaign Funds A judge on Wednesday sentenced former Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. to 2½ years in prison for treating his campaign fund like a "personal piggy bank"—siphoning off $750,000 over the years to pay for personal items like spa treatments and televisions. Mr. Jackson's wife, Sandi Jackson, a former Chicago alderman, was sentenced to a year in prison for her role in the scheme. The former congressman, who had represented a Chicago district for more than a decade, resigned last year amid the Federal Bureau of Investigation probe of his finances. He pleaded guilty...

CBS’ This Morning omitted the fact that former Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. (D., Ill.) is a Democrat during a story Wednesday about the disgraced politician’s sentencing for misuse of campaign funds. Jackson faces up to five years in prison after pleading guilty to spending nearly $750,000 in campaign funds on items like mink coats and a Rolex. His wife Sandra, a former Chicago alderman, also will be sentenced on a related charge of failing to report about $600,000 in taxable income.

Convicted felons Jesse Jackson Jr and his wife Sandra, both Democrats, and former elected officials, have arrived at federal district court this morning to learn their fates. Is the fix in? You can NOW play GUESS THE SENTENCE!!!

Per ABC News special report, Jesse Jackson jr sentenced to 30 months is Jail

(Newser) – Looks like Jesse Jackson Jr. didn't exactly work out a sweetheart plea deal for himself. Prosecutors intend to recommend 46 to 57 months of prison time for the former congressman, along with a fine of between $10,000 and $100,000, Politico reports. As part of the deal, Jackson admits to having conspired with his wife to illegally spend $750,000 in campaign money on such vagaries as fur coats, airplane tickets, a $43,000 Rolex watch, celebrity memorabilia, booze, cigars, and even groceries. Jackson was formally charged today with felonies including conspiracy, reports the Chicago Tribune. His wife, former Chicago...

Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. is resigning from Congress, his brother Jonathan Jackson tells the Chicago Tribune. A spokesman for House Speaker John Boehner confirmed Wednesday that his office has received a letter of resignation from Jackson but did not comment further, according to the Associated Press. The congressman could not be reached. Jackson, 47, a South Side Democrat, has been treated for bipolar depression and has been on a medical leave from Congress since June. He has been under investigation by federal authorities for alleged misuse of campaign dollars and also has faced a congressional ethics probe. Although he did...

Nearly two months after taking a leave of absence from Congress, Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr.'s congressional office today said he is being treated at an "in-patient medical facility" for an unnamed ailment. "Recently, we have been made aware that he has grappled with certain physical and emotional ailments privately for a long period of time," Jackson's spokesman Frank Watkins said in a statement. "At present, he is undergoing further evaluation and treatment at an in-patient medical facility." Jackson took a leave of absence from his House duties in early June because of "exhaustion." His condition is now "more serious than...

CHICAGO—U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr., who defeated a primary challenge this year despite being the target of a House ethics investigation, has been on a medical leave for two weeks and is being treated for exhaustion, his office announced Monday. In a three-sentence news release, Jackson's office disclosed that the Democrat went on leave June 10 but did not provide further details, including how long he would be away. In the release, he asked that his family's privacy be respected.

Could the Democratic House Member from Illinois with by far the best known name go down to defeat Tuesday night? Could the once-promising career of Jesse Jackson, Jr. be finished—at the hands of fellow Democrats, no less? Along with the Republican presidential primary, one of the biggest political stories of March 20 will certainly be the fate of the young Jackson, who faces a strong primary challenge from former Rep. Debbie Halvorson (lifetime American Conservative Union rating: 20 percent), who lost her Will County-based seat two years ago to Republican Adam Kinzinger. The race between the former congresswoman and the...

Jesse Jackson Jr. cited Obama Senate seat deal By: John Bresnahan December 2, 2011 10:57 AM EST Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr., (D-Ill.) was willing to trade campaign donations for appointment to the Senate seat being vacated by Barack Obama, according to a just-released report from the Office of Congressional Ethics. OCE also found “substantial reason to believe” that Jackson violated federal law and House rules by using his House office to “mount a campaign” to be appointed to the seat by the then-Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich, now awaiting sentencing on federal corruption charges. The OCE report was released on Friday...

The House Ethics Committee announced Tuesday afternoon that it would resume its inquest into Illinois Rep. Jesse Jackson, Jr.’s role in possibly attempting to purchase the Senate seat vacated by President Barack Obama. A statement on the committee’s website notes that the chairman of the committee, Alabama Republican Rep. Jo Bonner, and the ranking member, California Democratic Rep. Linda Sanchez, “have jointly decided to extend the matter.” The probe into Jackson’s involvement was initially deferred due to a request by the Justice Department. That request was withdrawn after former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich was found guilty of corruption in June....

The Blago Blog - Inside the Rod Blagojevich investigation and related cases Jackson statement: 'I have many strong feelings' about the caseBy Lark Turner on May 25, 2011 11:42 AM In a statement from Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr.'s lawyer Reid Weingarten, the congressman said he had "strong feelings" about Rod Blagojevich's trial, but wouldn't elaborate. "As you can imagine, I have many strong feelings about this entire matter," Jackson says in the statement. "My strongest feeling, however, is respect for our judicial system. Therefore, I will have no further comment about the case or how it has affected me until...

Trial updates, defense counsel presser, and very interesting discussion with two former IL US attorneys .. especially at the end about foul ball, Fitzie: Top right, first two videosVideos

An attorney for the brother of Rod Blagojevich said he regrets that jurors who are now in their 10th day of deliberations never heard testimony from U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. (D-Ill). Michael Ettinger, attorney for Robert Blagojevich, gave an emphatic "yes" when asked if he regretted that Jackson didn't take the stand. "I don't know if I can at this point go into it. But it would have shown, you know, you've got the Jesse Jr. alleged bribery extortion. You've seen one side of it that I believe the evidence shows really didn't occur. I believe the jury would...

*snip* Blagojevich reportedly told Jackson early on that he didn't hire his wife, Sandi, as lottery director because her application wasn't accompanied by a $25,000 campaign donation. Jackson said he turned to federal prosecutors for help when private developers willing to build a south suburban airport experienced Blagojevich's extortion. "I have worked with four governors," Jackson said back then. "It wasn't until I came into contact with the Blagojevich administration that they sought to shake down the developers. (Blagojevich's) behavior was so unacceptable to me that I took that information to the U.S. attorney because how can we build our...

A House ethics panel said it is investigating allegations against three lawmakers, including Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. Jackson allegedly launched a "public campaign" to be appointed to President Obama's former Senate seat in Illinois. But the Justice Department asked the panel defer investigating the matter because of a criminal indictment against ex-Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich and its investigation into "the facts surrounding Rod Blagojevich's consideration of multiple candidates to fill the Senate seat," the House ethics panel said in its statement. Because of that request, the investigation will be deferred, the statement said, but "the committee will continue to monitor...

What a Party!by John Hinderaker  This hilarious account is from the New York Post's Page Six gossip column. The item is titled "Booted From Forbidden Aisle": Reps. Jesse Jackson Jr. (D-Ill.) and Cynthia McKinney (D.-Ga.) got to the floor of the Capitol early and staked out seats reserved for Democratic senators. "Since none of these Democrats over there [in the Senate] filibustered Alito, why can't we have these seats?" Jackson argued. "That makes sense to me," McKinney replied, according to Roll Call columnist Mary Ann Akers. "Jackson went back to his office, leaving McKinney to protect the seats until...

- CHICAGO -- Congressman Jesse Jackson Junior says if a massive voter registration drive worked for Harold Washington in his 1983 run for mayor, it can work in 2006 and beyond for the Democrats. Jackson Jr. and the Rainbow/PUSH Coalition will work to register new voters. But Jackson won't say if it is a prelude to a run for mayor of Chicago. Jackson (D-Ill.) stressed that his goal was to help all Democrats. Nonetheless, he announced the registration drive moments after drawing comparisons between today's political landscape and the landscape in 1983, when Harold Washington was first elected mayor of...

The mayoral challenger Richard M. Daley fears most took another baby step toward City Hall on Friday. Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. (D-Ill.) came out swinging about the seemingly endless parade of City Hall contracting scandals under Daley and about the deafening silence coming from a City Council Jackson views as under Daley's thumb. What set Jackson off this time, apparently, was James Duff's bizarre attempt to plead guilty for an alleged minority business fraud scheme that deprived legitimate black-, Hispanic-, and women-owned businesses of $100 million in contracts. But that clearly was not the only scandal on Jackson's mind during...