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Former Illinois congressman Jesse Jackson Jr. was sentenced to 30 months in prison Wednesday. Jackson used $750,000 in campaign money for living expenses, trips and luxury goods. U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson (no relation) said that he and his wife, Sandi Jackson, used campaign funds as a "personal piggy bank."
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The sentencing ends a years-long federal probe into Jackson, who pleaded guilty of misusing campaign funds in February. The couple bought a $43,350 gold-plated men's Rolex watch, spent $5,687 on a stay in Martha's Vineyard and more than $5,000 on capes and fur. The Jacksons also paid for everyday expenses, like dry cleaning and toothpaste.
"There may be gray areas in campaign finance," Judge Jackson said. "This case did not come near to those areas."
"As a public official, you are supposed to live up to a higher standard of ethics and integrity."
Sandi Jackson received a one-year prison term for falsifying the couple's tax returns over a six-year period and using her husband's campaign card to rack up $171,000 in personal goods.
The judge allowed the two to serve consecutively so that one can stay home to take care of their children.
Federal prosecutors had previously recommended four years of prison for Jesse Jackson Jr. and 18 months for his wife.
"I take responsibility for my actions," Jesse Jackson Jr. said. "I misled the American people."
"My heart breaks every day with the pain it has caused my babies," Sandi Jackson said.
The judge recommended Jesse Jackson Jr. spend his time at a minimum-security federal prison in Montgomery, Ala., or a low-security facility outside of Raleigh, N.C.
In addition to the jail time, Jesse Jackson Jr. still must pay $750,000 to the government. Sandi Jackson was ordered $22,000 in restitution for money she spent as a Chicago alderman on personal expenses.
