Tuesday, September 21, 2010

How much is a Senate seat worth? For a member of Nancy Pelosi's 'Most Ethical Congress Ever', oh, about $6 million

Democrats: if they weren't in power, they'd make a great crime drama

'Scum' is too kind a word.

Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. directed a major political fund-raiser [Oak Brook businessman Raghuveer Nayak] to offer former Gov. Rod Blagojevich millions of dollars in campaign cash in return for an appointment to the U.S. Senate, sources said the fund-raiser has told federal authorities...

...The FBI interviewed [an] acquaintance — a Washington, D.C., restaurant hostess named Giovana Huidobro — ...as part of its corruption probe of Blagojevich... Huidobro, Jackson and Nayak all dined together on Oct. 8, 2008 — the same day that Nayak has told authorities he had a key conversation with Jackson about the Senate appointment, sources said. The three then ended up at Ozio, the restaurant and club where Huidobro works and where Jackson has held fund-raisers.

...Nayak told the FBI that he paid for two airline trips for Huidobro from Washington to Chicago in 2008.

A spokesman for Jackson declined to comment on Monday.

Reached Tuesday on his cell phone, Jackson said: "I have nothing to say. Call my office. Have a good day."

Pressed about Huidobro, the congressman again said, "I have nothing to say."

Jackson does not appear to have reported the flights for Huidobro as a gift on his House financial-disclosure statement, and it's unclear whether he violated any ethics or fund-raising laws by not doing so...

...Nayak, also a former Blagojevich fund-raiser, said that Jackson asked him to tell Blagojevich that if the then-governor appointed Jackson to the U.S. Senate, Chicago's Indian community would raise $1 million for Blagojevich and -- after Jackson was appointed -- Jackson would raise $5 million for the then-governor.

...At trial, Robert Blagojevich, Friends of Blagojevich chair, said he was twice approached by Indian fund-raisers offering money for Jackson. He testified that Nayak had offered the $6 million for Jackson.

Just when you think the Democrats have hit a new ethical low -- after Rangel, Waters, Geithner, Mollohan, Feinstein, Reid, Frank and Dodd, to name but a few -- they break out the bulldozers and dig a new sub-basement.


Hat tip: Memeorandum. Linked by: Michelle Malkin. Thanks!

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