Democrat Dirty Laundry: Was “Shameless” Jackson Jr. Aware Of $1 Million Trade Off For U.S. Senate Seat?

SPIN CYCLE: Pelosi Once Promised to ‘Drain the Swamp’ and Sweep Corruption out of Washington

“‘Drain the swamp’ means to turn this Congress into the most honest and open Congress in history. That’s my pledge — that is what I intend to do,’ Pelosi stated in an interview with NBC’s Brian Williams.” (Brian Williams, “Rep. Pelosi poised to make history”, NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams, 11/08/2006)

RINSE CYCLE: Prosecutors Claim Jesse Jackson Jr. Was Fully Aware Of Pay to Play Scheme On His Behalf

A supporter of U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. told the Democratic congressman in 2008 that he would raise $1 million in return for then- Gov. Rod Blagojevich naming Jackson to the U.S. Senate, a federal prosecutor said Wednesday.

The allegation, made on a busy day at Blagojevich’s federal corruption trial, was the first time authorities publicly suggested Jackson was aware of efforts by his allies to swap campaign cash for his appointment to the Senate seat vacated by President-elect Barack Obama.

Prosecutors also played a rapid-fire sequence of secret wiretap recordings that show Blagojevich reluctantly warming to Jackson as a Senate pick after first profanely ripping him as a non-starter.

Jackson has not been charged and has long denied knowledge or involvement of the alleged scheme to buy the Senate seat, which surfaced almost as soon as Blagojevich’s arrest on Dec. 9, 2008. Days later, the South Side congressman read a statement declaring: “I never sent a message or an emissary to the governor to make an offer, plead my case or propose a deal about a U.S. Senate seat, period.”

Jackson did not return phone calls for comment Wednesday.

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“Nayak says to Jackson in Bedi’s presence, ‘I will raise a million if he appoints you to the Senate seat,'” Niewoehner explained.

Zagel barred Niewoehner from asking Bedi about that part of the conversation before jurors, but Bedi did testify that both Jackson’s interest in the seat and fundraising were discussed with Jackson sitting at the table. Prosecutors then played wiretaps of conversations in which Blagojevich and his brother, Robert, appeared aware of the approach involving Jackson.

In one, recorded the same day as that restaurant meeting, Robert Blagojevich told the governor that Bedi had filled him in on the details, including Nayak’s offer to do “some accelerated fundraising” on the governor’s behalf if Jackson got the Senate nod.

Three days later, Gov. Blagojevich was recorded talking about overtures for Jackson in a conversation with one of his deputy governors, Robert Greenlee.

“I’m tellin’ ya that guy’s shameless,” Greenlee said.

“Unbelievable isn’t it,” responded Blagojevich. “Then I, we were approached, pay to play. That, you know he’d raise me 500 grand, an emissary came, then the other guy would raise a million, if I made him a senator.”

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A couple of hours later, the governor was on the phone with his brother, filling him in on the idea that he had elevated Jackson to the top of the list of candidates he was considering to replace Obama. He wasn’t going to tolerate making a pick and getting nothing in return, he said on the recording.

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The Tribune reported one week later that Nayak had discussed raising at least $1 million to encourage Jackson’s selection, and that he co-sponsored a Dec. 6 Blagojevich fundraiser attended by the governor and one of Jackson’s brothers. (Bob Secter and Jeff Coen, “Jesse Jackson Jr. knew of $1 million offer for Senate seat, prosecutors say,” Chicago Tribune, 7/08/2010)

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