The most interesting tidbit from the Trib’s report that Raghuveer Nayak, one of JJJ’s fundraisers mentioned in the Blagojevich criminal complaint, wants immunity in exchange for testimony is the reaction from JJJ’s lawyer.
Jackson’s lawyer, James Montgomery Sr., reacted to the news of Nayak’s bid for immunity by saying, "If that is indeed the case, and if that cooperation relates to my client, then [Nayak] is trying to save his own skin. That’s all I have to say."
Montgomery hedges his statement carefully: he doesn’t admit that Nayak’s cooperation would necessarily pertain solely to JJJ. But he insinuates that, if Nayak’s cooperation does relate to JJJ, Nayak’s just trying to save himself.
Given how closely Nayak’s actions match up with the complaint (that is, he appears to be a good candidate to be both JJJ’s "emissary" and–as the Trib points out–the Indidvidual D whom Blago was preparing to hit up on December 4, not long before Blago was arrested) that’s an interesting admission. It also suggests that JJJ and Nayak may be trying to damage each other, which given the way things are shaping up in Chicago, wouldn’t surprise me. Most of all, it surprised me that Montgomery didn’t immediately suggest that Nayak might be cooperating to make the case against Blago; there’s no reason to assume any more than that, after all.
Meanwhile, here’s a summary of Nayak’s ties to the Jackson family:
Nayak’s connections to the Jackson family go back years. Not only has he been a longtime political supporter of Rep. Jackson, he’s traveled with the congressman’s father, Rev. Jesse Jackson, to India and he’s partnered with the congressman’s brother, Jonathan, on a failed land deal. Records also show Jonathan Jackson’s former cellular phone business used office space at a Gold Coast facility owned by Nayak.
His ties to the world of medical industry that ties so closely to many of Blago’s pay-to-play are much stronger. But I do find the ties to other Jacksons–aside from JJJ–notable.