Former Congressman Jesse Jackson, Jr. was sentenced to serve two and a half years in prison today after he pleaded guilty in February to using campaign money for personal expenses that included buying Michael Jackson memorabilia, furs, and a Rolex watch. The judge said the sentence should be served at a facility in Alabama. His wife, Sandra Jackson, also will be sentenced Wednesday for filing false tax returns.
Prosecutors had recommended a four-year sentence for Jackson and an 18-month sentence plus a payment of $168,550.01 restitution for his wife. Jackson’s defense lawyers had pointed to the congressman’s record as a congressman — one they said was good — as a reason for the lighter sentence.
The defense team also requested that Jackson be jailed at federal correctional facilities in either Montgomery, Alabama, or Butner, North Carolina. Butner is where Bernie Madoff is serving his 150-year sentence for investment fraud. Both facilities are minimum security.
