"Candidate 5" was the code used to describe one of the persons Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich mentioned he was considering to fill the empty Illinois Senate seat vacated by President-elect Obama during phone calls wire-tapped by the FBI. Blagojevich stands accused of attempting to solicit political appointments.
On December 10, 2008, federal authorities identified Democratic Representative Jesse Jackson Jr. as "Candidate 5." Blagojevich was reportedly going to offer Jackson the seat for a price of $1 million. Jackson claims he never offered or authorized anyone on his staff to offer money in exchange for the Senate seat.ABC: Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. Is Senate Candidate... (December 10, 2008)
Not Under Investigation
According to Jackson's attorney, James Montgomery Sr., he was assured by U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald that Jackson was not under investigation. Fitzgerald reported that none of the potential candidates mentioned by Blagojevich were accused of any misconduct and said that: "People should not cast aspersions on people who are discussed on wiretap or bug tape."CNN.com: Jackson denies playing Illinois (December 10, 2008)
Quotes
"I want to make this fact plain: I reject and denounce pay-to-play politics and have no involvement whatsoever in any wrongdoing."CNN.com: Jackson denies playing Illinois (December 10, 2008)—Jesse Jackson Jr.
"I thought, mistakenly, that the process was fair. ... I thought the governor was evaluating me and other hopefuls based on our credentials."CNN.com: Jackson denies playing Illinois (December 10, 2008)—Jesse Jackson Jr.
References
Fast Facts
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Fact:
Candidate 5 was supposedly going to be offered a seat in the Senate in exchange for money or favors
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Fact:
According to federal authorities Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. is candidate 5
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Fact:
Jackson claims he was unaware of any such offer for money or favors in exchange for the positionChicago Sun-Times: Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr... (December 10, 2008)
