Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. on Leave for 'Exhaustion'

Blagojevich probe still investigating him
By Neal Colgrass,  Newser Staff
Posted Jun 25, 2012 6:46 PM CDT
Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. on Leave for 'Exhaustion'
In this Oct. 16, 2011 file photo, Rep. Jesse Jackson, Jr., D-Ill., is seen during the dedication of the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial in Washington.   (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak, File)

Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr, the 47-year-old son of the famous civil rights leader, has been on medical leave for two weeks and is undergoing treatment for exhaustion, the Chicago Tribune reports. “At the request of the family, we’re not saying where he is," said a rep, who added that he doesn't know when the 17-year Illinois Congressman will return. A short statement asked "that you respect his family’s privacy" and said his office will remain open to constituents.

Jackson is also under a House Ethics Committee probe into accusations that his longtime friend, Raghuveer Nayak, offered Rod Blagojevich up to $6 million to help Jackson take over President Obama's Senate seat. Nayak was arrested last week on federal fraud charges linked to his surgical centers. Jackson has denied having any connection to the Senate seat scandal that put Blagojevich away for 14 years. (More Jesse Jackson Jr. stories.)

Get the news faster.
Tap to install our app.
X
Install the Newser News app
in two easy steps:
1. Tap in your navigation bar.
2. Tap to Add to Home Screen.

X