JESSE JACKSON JR. ASKS OBAMA — ON FACEBOOK— FOR MASS PARDONS
WASHINGTON— Former U. S. Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr., who went to prison after pleading guilty to stealing from his campaign funds, is making a plea to President Barack Obama through Facebook to grant mass pardons before he leaves office next month.
Aside from Facebook, Jackson might also be formally seeking clemency for himself from Obama — a process run out of the Justice Department.
After leaving prison last year, Jackson signaled that hemight ask his fellow South Sider for clemency.
On Facebook, Jackson wrote: “Truly, Mr. President, with a presidential pardon equally monumental to, and greater in scope than, the Emancipation Proclamation, the legacy of Barack Hussein Obama II will be one of faith, hope and love.
“It will indicate an unprecedented amount of personal courage because it is an act of extraordinary strength. Yet, for the recipients of grace, it will be a miracle. There are millions of people who have learned their lessons, will never return to prison, who still need a clean slate. If you give it to them, it will be a miracle in their lives.”
Because of the nature of Jackson’s offense, though, it might be tough for Obama to give Jackson an individual break.
The disgraced former congressman and his wife, former Chicago Ald. Sandi Jackson ( 7th), pleaded guilty on Feb. 20, 2013, to looting campaign funds of $ 750,000 and spending much of it on personal items— ranging fromthe lavish, including a Rolex and furs, to the mundane, such as toilet paper bought at Costco, to the bizarre, two mounted elk heads for his Capitol Hill House office.
Sandi Jackson has also completed her yearlong prison sentence. Jackson, who represented the 2nd Congressional District, was sentenced to 30 months. His time served was cut— most likely because of good behavior and completion of a substance- abuse program.