Jackson downplays brother's actions
Still embroiled in a federal investigation into whether Gov. Blagojevich put a U.S. Senate seat up for sale, Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. on Friday dismissed as "inconsequential" any efforts a Jackson family friend made to raise campaign cash for the governor.
Raghuveer Nayak -- a business associate of Jackson's brother Jonathan, and a longtime contributor to both Rep. Jackson and Blagojevich -- was among Indian businessmen who discussed raising money for Blagojevich's campaign as a way to encourage him to pick Jackson for the job, sources said.
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In fact, Blagojevich attended an Oct. 31 fund-raising strategy session for the governor that Nayak helped organize at an Indian restaurant in Schaumburg, sources said. The event included dozens of Indian businessmen, and petitions encouraging Blagojevich to appoint Jackson to the U.S. Senate were being circulated.
Last Saturday, the Indian community hosted a fund-raiser for Blagojevich in Elmhurst. Jonathan Jackson attended the event.
"My brother made it perfectly clear he made no offers on my behalf. He was there to present awards at an award ceremony," Rep. Jackson said during an interview at his house. It is unknown how much money the event took in.
Rep. Jackson was to speak with federal investigators as early as this week. But on Friday, he said his interview has been pushed back. "I've been informed that I'm not a priority interview," he said.
Rep. Jackson has been denying involvement in any sort of pay-to-play scheme involving the Senate seat since Wednesday, when it was first reported he is the "Senate Candidate 5" in the Blagojevich complaint. The complaint states: "In a recorded conversation on October 31, 2008, Rod Blagojevich described an earlier approach by an associate of Senate Candidate 5 as follows: 'We were approached "pay to play." That, you know, he'd raise me 500 grand. An emissary came. Then the other guy would raise a million, if I made him [Senate Candidate 5] a senator."
Nayak has not returned repeated calls. Rep. Jackson said he did not know if Nayak has been approached by or spoken to federal authorities. "I don't know, and it's inconsequential to my story," Rep. Jackson said. "I have indicated to you from the very outset, I am not a target of this investigation, that I have engaged in no wrongdoing, that I have sent no emissaries on my behalf to meet with a single person about this position in the United States Senate."
Nayak, 54, of Oak Brook, is one of several major contributors and fund-raisers for Blagojevich from Chicago's Indian community. He also has contributed to Jackson's congressional campaign and formed a company with Jonathan Jackson, 6760 Stoney Island LLC.
Rep. Jackson seemed to indicate to the Sun-Times he has no plans to sever ties with Nayak.
"All my life I have watched people abandon people at their most difficult and desperate hours," Rep. Jackson said. "He's a very affluent man. He doesn't need to do anything illegal. I pray for him and I am confident I didn't ask him to do anything that is suggested in the complaint that would violate the law."
Contributing: Dave McKinney, Tim Novak