The Reason Behind the Jacksons’ Narrow Denials?

I noted the other day that Jesse Jackson Jr’s denial of involvement in Blago’s pay-to-play games was very narrow: he denied being personally involved, and said that he had not authorized others to make offers to Blago for him.

I want to make this fact plain: I reject and denounce pay-to- play politics and have no involvement whatsoever in any wrongdoing. I did not initiate or authorize anyone, at any time, to promise anything to Governor Blagojevich on my behalf.

I never sent a message or an emissary to the governor to make an offer, to plead my case, or to propose a deal about a U.S. Senate seat, period.

Maybe this explains why those denials are so narrow. The Trib reports that Blago and Jackson-family fundraiser Raghuveer Nayak met on October 31–the day when Blago was recorded as talking about having been approached by an emissary from JJJ.

Blagojevich made an appearance at an Oct. 31 luncheon meeting at the India House restaurant in Schaumburg sponsored by Oak Brook businessman Raghuveer Nayak, a major Blagojevich supporter who also has fundraising and business ties to the Jackson family, according to several attendees and public records.

And Saturday, Nayak co-sponsored a fund-raiser for JJJ which was understood by some attendees to be tied to JJJ’s bid to be appointed Senator.

That meeting led to a Blagojevich fundraiser Saturday in Elmhurst, co-sponsored by Nayak and attended by Jesse Jackson Jr.’s brother, Jonathan, as well as Blagojevich, according to several people who were there. Nayak and Jonathan Jackson go back years and the two even went into business together years ago as part of a land purchase on the South Side.

Perhaps not surprisingly, those close to JJJ are now repeating his narrow denials.

Jackson’s congressional spokesman Rick Bryant said Thursday that Nayak is a "family friend and supporter" of the congressman as well as his well-known father, Rev. Jesse Jackson. The congressman and Nayak have spoken about Jackson’s desire to succeed Obama.

"He has talked to [Nayak] about the Senate seat and he has mentioned his interest," Bryant said of his boss. "But he never asked him to do anything."

Jackson’s newly retained attorney, James Montgomery, said Wednesday he could not rule out that such possibilities were discussed with Blagojevich by people who did not have his client’s blessing.

They figured out pretty quickly that some folks might have been making deals on JJJ’s behalf with Blago, huh?

This is a damned fine piece of reporting from the Trib, btw, though the editing doesn’t make clear how close a match they’ve made to the details in the complaint. They have found someone with Jackson ties talking to Blago on the same day he described being approached. That person, plus two other people (Rajinder Bedi and Harish Bhatt), have talked about influencing Blago–and raising a million dollars–to appoint JJJ. And those three people held a fundraiser over the weekend, between the day, Thursday, Blago returned to the idea of appointing JJJ in exchange for money, and the time, on Monday, when Blago and JJJ met. 

I guess the Saturday fund-raiser begins to explain why Fitz got a warrant for Blago’s arrest on Sunday, but didn’t execute it until after JJJ and Blago met on Monday. I’d say the chances are even better that that meeting was taped on Monday. 

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17 replies
  1. nextstopchicago says:

    In the immortal words of the complaint:

    “During the conversation on Dec. 5th, 2008, Rod Blagojevich instructe Fundraiser A to “undo your Individual D thing.”

    I guess he didn’t undo his Individual D thing in time!

  2. lllphd says:

    This whole business with Jesse Jackson Jr is of great concern on at least these two additional counts.

    One, JJJ had to know that Obama would weigh in with his own candidate pick. Yet, it appears, JJJ pushed through with his own interests anyway. I don’t know what to make of that, but mostly it ain’t good.

    Two, assuming the first point, we can wonder how JJJ came to the realization that Obama had other ideas, ideas that he – JJJ – had to work against. He could have either intuited it, which would not be impossible and actually seems likely (one would hope). But he could also have been told this fact. On the one hand, he could have been told this by Obama’s folks, which would then make JJJ’s pursuit even more questionable.

    But, he could also have been told this by Blago’s crew, and it is even conceivable they would have told him Obama’s pick was out of the running because they would not pay to play.

    If this is the case, then all the much worse for JJJ, especially since JJSr has now lawyered up.

    This all makes me so terribly sad because, in spite of imperfections, I’ve always been quite fond* of JJSr, and then have been wowed by his son. But it also makes me not just a little angry because this is just the sort of finagling all the rightwingnuts were so worried about – the blacks taking over and other such drivel – during the campaign.

    Despite Obama’s clearly graceful handling of al this, it’s not an elegant startup, but a reminder of how power – even the smell of it – can corrupt.

    * Having been in Memphis the day King was shot, I’ve followed Jackson’s career more closely than I might have otherwise. I fell apart, literally sobbing, when the cameras caught him weeping openly in Grant Park Nov. 4th; it was deeply and profoundly moving, and I knew the sense of closure and meaning and fate it had for him, as he was with King that fateful day. So much so that I plan to be in DC for the inauguration, to experience my own sense of fate and meaning and closure. This scandal does not undo that meaning, but it certainly disrupts it, though in another meaningful way. Again, in the guise of the warning, beware power. Beware power.

  3. radiofreewill says:

    This is beginning to take on the Suspense of a Hitchcock! As JJJ gets caked in More of the Mud of Chicago Politics, Is he Still Good Enough Inside?

    As bad as things may look for JJJ, he still has Fitz’ declaration that he’s ‘Not a Target’ going for him.

    And, I agree with you, the Monday Meeting was almost certainly taped. I’m just saying that it appears that when Fitz peered into the Mud, he was able to pick-out a gem in JJJ and say, “When the chips were down on the table in Monday’s Meeting – when it was time to Make a Deal on Pay-to-Play – JJJ said ‘No.’ So, he’s not a Target.”

    Fitz is passing on characterizing JJJ’s ‘politicking’ for the Senate Seat up until the Monday Meeting, but focusing on the event where JJJ comes into the the Sphere of the Blago Investigation – on tape Monday regarding Pay-to-Play on the Senate Seat – and JJJ must have passed the test?

    Unfortunately for JJJ, however, you have to be Better than Good to make it in Politics these days – these days you have to have Support from Very Strong Players who Play Hard, but Don’t Play Shady. So, he may yet turn out to be Good, but he’s not looking Transformationally Good – which what We need.

    • emptywheel says:

      rfw

      You do remember that Rove “was not a target” for the entire 2 years that Fitz was chasing a perjury conviction, right? Fitz uses the same distinction in his complaint, between target and subject, that he used with Rove.

      We have no reason to believe that JJJ’s reliance on the same distinction was any more exonerating than it was for Rove. He may not have known about these guys, or he may have. I’m guessing, at this point, Fitz just doesn’t know one way or another.

      • radiofreewill says:

        I’m with you – Jackson’s Monday conversation, after weeks and weeks of campaigning for the Seat – and the Friday Trib Article – may turn out – upon the discovery of further evidence – to be as meaningful as Rove’s “I didn’t take the bait!” e-mail.

  4. nextstopchicago says:

    Well, I have no grudge against Junior for wanting the Senate seat despite the fact that Barack liked someone else. They’ve always been independent of each other, and that’s fine. Good democrats can vie against each other, and Barack has no special privilege to pick his successor.

    But assuming the best for him, that the Nayak initiative was completely independent and he knew nothing, and that the US Attorney believe him, I think this probably ends his higher aspirations for a long time. I do believe him. But the question of whether he knew what Nayaak was up to is going to be a Rohrschach test, where I’d predict most black voters will shrug their shoulders, and most white voters will assume the worst.

    He’s now Congressman for life.

    • SparklestheIguana says:

      He’s now Congressman for life.

      He could also most likely be elected Mayor if he wants it….unless he’s damaged beyond repair when all the dust settles.

  5. joanneleon says:

    Is it reasonable to believe that people associated with JJJ were talking to Blago about money and the Senate seat, and JJJ had no idea they were doing it? They may have been careful enough that JJJ and Blago never had a conversation about money, and Fitz may never be able to prove it, but I’m having a really hard time believing that JJJ had no idea it was going on.

    Maybe I’m naive or missing something? I just can’t think of a scenario that a reasonable person would believe.

    • choochmac says:

      I am not saying it is the case, but I could conceive of a situation where JJJr was not aware. It sounds like these fundraisers are not new to the Chicago machine, so they might know enough not to make JJJr aware of everything up front for favors later. They might not all be as stupid as Blago. If they managed to get him the seat and Blago confirmed it was their support which won it for him (and at this point I would say Blago would have no qualms in admitting such a thing) then they would assume they would have the eternal gratitude of a US Senator which could be leveraged later.

      I think it less likely than that the alternative that he knew something was afoot, but not impossible. What if they had a fairly innocent sounding conversation such as the following: Fundraiser, “Jesse, we know you want the Senate seat and we want you to get it too. Maybe if we show how much support you have in the community it will help you with making your case. Are you okay with that?” If he says yes and no further communication is made, I am not so sure that is an indictable offense.

  6. emptywheel says:

    joanneleon

    I think that’s where the whole presumed innocent thing comes in. There’s reason to look further, certainly, but right now we don’t have that evidence.

  7. KevinHayden says:

    I’m not certain I can see why his denial is construed as ‘narrow’. There are laws. JJJ simply stated that he fully abided with the law. If he didn’t, Fitz would or will say so at some point.

    After all, as soon as candidate #5 was identified, it was politically necessary to respond as accurately as he could, and he did so. If there’s more there, it will come to light at some point. If not, his supporter acted on his own initiative and JJJ isn’t legally culpable.

    Yes, politically, it likely rules out JJJ gaining the appointment. Suspicion is often all that’s needed to prevent a worthy politician’s advance. Ultimately, unless Emanuel screwed up, this all appears to be a local matter that Illinois citizens will have to resolve. All the national speculation and political posturing is simply an unfortunate distraction from far bigger problems the entire country is facing.

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