Thread: Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. Takes Mystery Leave of Absence From Ho

• Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. Takes Mystery Leave of Absence From House

Jesse Jackson Jr. in the Senate Hot Seat

VIDEO AT LINK

By RUSSELL GOLDMAN

June 26, 2012

Staffers for Congressman Jesse Jackson Jr., son of an African-American icon and the subject of a House ethics investigation, said today they do not know when their boss will return to work after announcing that he has quietly been on a leave for the past two weeks because of "exhaustion."

The statement was released by Jackson's office late Monday night. His office has been open during that time, but the congressman had not been appearing on the Hill or on the House floor for votes.

"On Sunday, June 10th, Congressman Jesse L. Jackson, Jr. went on a medical leave of absence and is being treated for exhaustion. He asks that you respect his family's privacy. His offices remain open to serve residents of the Second District," read a statement from his office.

Asked if staffers had received any word on Jackson's condition or when he planned to return to work, a spokesman said, "No

Jackson's Twitter account remained active on Monday, twice posting about the Affordable Care Act, but it was unclear if Jackson had personally sent the messages.

Jackson, a Democrat from Chicago first elected to Congress in 1995, is running for re-election this years. Calls to his campaign to determine the status of his race were not immediately returned.

The House Ethics Committee is investigating allegations that Jackson offered to donate money to then Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich's gubernatorial campaign in exchange for the Senate seat vacated by President Obama.

A witness in Blagojevich's 2010 corruption trial linked Nayak to Jackson's alleged attempt to buy Obama's seat from Blagojevich.

Blagojevich was found guilty of corruption and began serving a jail term earlier this year.

Jackson has denied the accusation.

Jackson is also being investigated for allegedly directing Raghuveer Nayak, a political donor and friend, to pay for air fare and travel accommodations for a woman Jackson calls a "social acquaintance."

Nayak last week was found guilty on different fraud charges related to outpatient medical clinics.

Jackson's father is the Rev. Jesse Jackson, a civil rights leader and one-time presidential candidate.

Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. Takes Mystery Leave of Absence From House - ABC News

Giovana Huidobro, the woman at the center of the scandal: Nightclub hostess, Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr.'s "social acquaintance."



Ozio Restaurant and Lounge, 2010. (Aaron Leitko/The Washington Post)
The scandal now surrounding Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. is mostly a scandal about money. But as with so many other political imbroglios, there is also a woman in the story.

U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. (D-Ill.) (Charles Rex Arbogast/AP)


Giovana Huidobro


She is Giovana Huidobro, a hostess at Ozio lounge on M Street NW, whom -- according to a new report from the Chicago Sun-Times -- the FBI interviewed last year while trying to determine if the Chicago Democrat asked a major fundraiser to pay then-Gov. Rod Blagojevich in exchange for appointing him to a U.S. Senate seat.

Why Huidobro? Because the fundraiser, Raghuveer Nayak, told investigators he twice paid for Huidobro to fly from Washington to Chicago at Jackson's request, the Sun-Times reported.


After the story broke Tuesday, Jackson released a statement strongly denying Nayak's claim that the congressman asked him to offer Blagojevich millions in exchange for the Senate seat. He called the allegations old news and "preposterous."


As for the Huidibro connection, though, Jackson said it was "a private and personal matter between me and my wife that was handled some time ago," and asked that reporters respect their privacy.

But who is she? Colleagues and patrons described her to us as a petite, eye-catching Latin American blonde whose presence at Ozio's front door was a potent lure at the martini-and-cigar bar that's seen better days. (A big hit when it opened in the mid-'90s just ahead of the cocktail revival, Ozio lost much of its buzz as newer nightspots opened.) Her unusual name Google-Trended in a big way once the Sun-Times story hit, and desktop detectives quickly found some impressive swimsuit shots on a Peruvian Web site. Home, though, is far from Capitol Hill or the D.C. club scene: She lives in a modest brick-front townhouse in Germantown with what appears to be a Spanish-speaking family group, neighbors told us -- older parents, grown children, a few small kids. She's a runner, sometimes seen walking a little dog.

Huidobro declined to talk to the Chicago paper, and we couldn't catch up with her Wednesday. When we asked about her at Ozio, a manager just smirked at us. "I don't follow the news," he said.

Reliable Source - Giovana Huidobro, the woman at the center of the scandal: Nightclub hostess, Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr.'s "social acquaintance."

Jul 05, 2012

Rep. Jackson's medical condition is 'more serious'

It was recently revealed that the Democrat went on medical leave June 10 and was being treated for exhaustion. A statement released today by spokesman Frank Watkins suggests Jackson, first elected to the U.S. House in 1995, could be out for some time.

"Recently we have been made aware that he he has grappled with certain physical and emotional ailments privately for a long period of time," the statement said. "At present he is undergoing further evaluation and treatment at an in-patient facility."

Watkins said Jackson will need "extended in-patient treatment as well as continuing medical treatment."

Jackson, 47, is being investigated by the House ethics committee for allegedly raising campaign money for then-Illinois governor Rod Blagojevich in exchange for an appointment to the U.S. Senate seat once held by President Obama. Jackson has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing.

In March, the congressman easily defeated Debbie Halvorson in a Democratic primary. It was considered Jackson's strongest election challenge since taking office.

Sandi Jackson, the congressman's wife and a member of the Chicago City Council, has provided little information about her husband's condition or where he is being treated. She told Chicago reporters that she loves her husband "very much" and that her "primary concern" is for their children.

Rep. Jackson's medical condition is 'more serious'

Questions linger about Rep. Jackson’s Hill future

By Sophia Tareen Associated Press
Saturday, September 29, 2012

CHICAGO (AP) — His home in Washington is for sale. His wife says he’ll come back to work only when a doctor approves. He vowed to return to the campaign by Labor Day, and then didn’t.

Election Day is five weeks away, and Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. remains out of sight.

It’s an absence, both from his job in Congress and his campaign, that’s starting to test patience in his Chicago hometown.

More than three months have passed since Jackson, a 47-year-old Democrat first elected in 1995, dropped out public sight. It was later revealed that he was hospitalized for severe depression and gastrointestinal problems. There have been few updates on his condition and no hard answers to questions about his future.

Jackson’s name remains on the ballot, even though he’s yet to make a campaign appearance since last spring’s primary. His wife, Chicago Alderman Sandi Jackson, insists she won’t step in to take his place.

“You ask anyone in this district, which one of them could take 90 days off of work?” said Jackson’s Republican opponent, Brian Woodworth. The college professor is running in a mostly South Side district that’s heavily Democratic.

“Voters should be paying attention to this,” Woodworth said. “For the last three months, almost four, he’s ignored them. He’s hidden from the press. He’s ignored the people. He’s neglected his job.”

The criticism isn’t only coming from the GOP. Editorial writers who urged patience weeks ago now are urging Jackson to explain his intentions. In his district, constituents who have expressed a range of reactions to his absence are growing more anxious to hear from him.

Jacques Whatley, a 39-year-old mother, said she’s voted for Jackson in the past but her views have turned as weeks have gone by without any word from the congressman.

“When there are situations like this, we need to know,” Whatley said. “If he has some medical issues, then he should step down. If you’re in a situation where you’re not healthy, then you need time off.”

Jackson is recovering at the same time as GOP Sen. Mark Kirk of Illinois, who had a stroke in January. Kirk has also not appeared in public, but is not facing re-election this year and has released a series of videos that show him learning to walk again and talking about government issues, at times in a halting voice.

Jackson returned to his Washington home this month after leaving the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota. He started a medical leave June 10, but his staff only announced it two weeks later and didn’t initially disclose where he was or the illness from which he was suffering.

“He’s still at home under a doctor’s care,” said spokesman Frank Watkins.

The son of civil rights leader Rev. Jesse Jackson, the congressman was expected to breeze to re-election after easily defeating a primary opponent in a district that now extends from south Chicago into portions of two rural counties.

Publicly, most Illinois Democrats have kept quiet about Jackson’s situation. Sen. Dick Durbin and Rep. Luis Gutierrez were among those who pushed Jackson to disclose his condition promptly. The influential Jackson family has long and complicated ties in the party, and it’s unclear whether he is being pressured by party leaders to step aside.

Jackson's father has declined to speak in detail. The congressman’s wife has mostly dodged reporters at City Council meetings and a recent birthday party and fundraiser.

In the latest development, Jacksons put their $2.5 million town house in Washington on the market. A Jackson aide said the family hoped the sale would help pay medical bills. The family also maintains a Chicago home, but their two children go to school in Washington, and Sandi Jackson commutes to Chicago for city business.

Replacing Jackson on the ballot gets messy this close to Election Day. Ballots with Jackson’s name have been mailed to troops overseas. That means that in a close election, the courts may have to determine if a vote for Jackson would be counted for the replacement or thrown out.

If Jackson were to step down in the next few weeks, the Democratic Party chairmen in the three counties he represents would have eight days to pick a replacement.

Read more: Questions linger about Rep. Jackson's Hill future - Washington Times Questions linger about Rep. Jackson's Hill future - Washington Times