CONGRESSMAN JESSE JACKSON, JR. "PROBE" HAS GROWN TENTACLES THAT MUST BE CUT OFF IMMEDIATELY

Congressman Jesse Jackson, Jr.The Congressman Jesse Jackson, Jr. Witch Hunt must stop. This is getting absolutely ridiculous! How did the probe into whether Jesse Jackson, Jr. attempted to negotiate the purchase of Obama's vacant Senate seat from then Governor Rod Blagojevich turn into a full-on investigation into how Rep. Jackson used of his own campaign resources? This dual investigation (one by the Feds, the other by a Congressional committee) has nothing to do with its original purpose - was there a quid pro quo agreement between Jackson and Blagojevich?

In a previous blog I write:

JESSE JACKSON, JR. WITCH HUNT PREPOSTEROUS - PRESS HAS FORGOTTEN THE ISSUE: BLAGOJEVICH'S ALLEGED ATTEMPT TO SELL SENATE SEAT

In late May 2009, it was reported that Congressman Jesse Jackson, Jr. has paid his wife approximately $250,000 for her assistance in his campaign. Article here.

Most importantly, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee states that at least 40 members of Congress, from both parties, employ spouses or family members in their campaigns. As for Illinois, the practice is very very common.

The Office of Congressional Ethics probe, which was launched in April 2009, is supposed to investigate a matter for 30 days before making a recommendation to the House members' chief ethics panel, the Committee on Standards of Official Conduct. That committee can take action, refuse action or continue the probe.

It has now been over FIVE MONTHS of investigation! The purpose of the ethics probe was to determine if Rep. Jackson was involved in any quid pro quo with Gov. Rod Blagojevich. They did not find any such wrongdoing or involvement with Gov. Blagojevich; therefore, the probe should have come to an end.

Instead, the committee has gone well beyond its original scope, so much so that the Feds have asked them to STOP. 

According to today's Sun Times, "The Office of Congressional Ethics revealed Wednesday it was probing whether Jackson improperly used his congressional staff to wage a political campaign for appointment to the U.S. Senate. Federal authorities have asked a congressional ethics committee to temporarily back off its probe of U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr., fearing it would interfere with an ongoing investigation." Article here.

The latest "investigation" is into whether Congressman Jackson had his staff send out letters to constiutents regarding his campaign for the Senate seat. Really? 

Let's just do a cost-benefit analysis: the cost to taxpayers for TWO investigations: 1) the Ethics Committee investigation that has now proceeded for five months, and 2) the Federal investigation. The COST of the two separate investigations has gone WAY BEYOND the alleged "inappropriate" spending of Rep. Jackson. Why doesn't this "Committee" do something else with their time; instead of reading Jackson's financial statements, read that +1000 page health care bill? And maybe the Feds can spend more time on bringing down the bad guys instead of determining whether Rep. Jackson asked his staff to mail some letters?

I don't really care if you "like" Rep. Jackson or not. That's not the issue. The issue is that the probe has gone well beyond its scope, well beyond its purpose, and well beyond its allotted deadline. Clearly, there are ulterior motives since neither committee found what it was looking for, i.e. the Blago-Jackson quid pro quo zinger. The nonsense must stop!

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