Jesse Jackson, Jr.

Jesse Jackson, Jr.

Jesse Louis Jackson, Jr. (born March 11, 1965) is an American politician who represented Illinois's 2nd congressional district in the U.S. House of Representatives until his resignation in 2012. He is a member of the Democratic Party. Jackson was first elected in a special election in 1995. His district included the part of the Southland southeast suburbs of Chicago and part of the Chicago South Side. He is the son of activist and former presidential candidate Jesse Jackson. His wife, Sandi Jackson, serves on the Chicago City Council. He served as a national co-chairman of the 2008 Barack Obama presidential campaign.

Prior to elective politics Jackson was active in international civil rights activism. He participated in his father's presidential campaigns and then in the office of his Rainbow Coalition. During his time in public office he co-authored three books, two of them with his father. Jackson has a consistent liberal record on both social and fiscal issues. He has been a very active Democratic spokesperson for other Democratic candidates and a popular interviewee and broadcast media guest.

It was announced October 12, 2012 that federal prosecutors and FBI agents in Washington, D.C. have launched a new criminal investigation of Jackson involving alleged financial improprieties, including possible misuse of funds monitored by Congress. Jackson resigned from Congress on November 21, 2012, citing mental and physical health problems, including bipolar disorder, clinical depression, and gastrointestinal problems. However, he has also acknowledged that he is under two separate and distinct investigations by the House Ethics Committee and the FBI.