Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. Pleads Guilty to $750,000 Campaign Fund Fraud

Former U.S. Representative Jesse Jackson Jr. (D-IL) pleaded guilty in federal court to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, mail fraud, and false statements, admitting he misused approximately $750,000 in campaign funds for personal expenses over several years. Jackson, the son of civil rights leader Rev. Jesse Jackson, acknowledged to Judge Robert L. Wilkins: “I used monies that should have been used for campaign purposes.”

The lavish personal purchases included a $43,350 gold-plated men’s Rolex watch, $9,588 worth of children’s furniture, Michael Jackson and Malcolm X memorabilia, mounted elk heads, fur capes and parkas worth $5,150, and numerous everyday items such as movie tickets, health club dues, dry cleaning, private-school tuition, and trips to Costco. Jackson’s guilty plea came three months after he resigned from Congress in November 2012, citing mental health issues and acknowledging he was under federal investigation.

Jackson’s wife, former Chicago Alderman Sandra Stevens Jackson, also pleaded guilty to one count of filing false tax returns for failing to declare more than $600,000 in income from 2005 to 2011. The couple’s coordinated guilty pleas represented a stunning fall from grace for a prominent political family and rising Democratic star who had served in Congress since 1995 and was once considered a candidate for mayor of Chicago or even higher office. Jackson was later sentenced to 30 months in federal prison, while his wife received 12 months. The case exemplified how campaign finance fraud crossed party lines during this era of congressional corruption.