Feds Put Off Questioning Jesse Jackson Jr.
Congressman says his supporters weren't "authorized" to talk to the Blagojevich.
Dec. 12, 2008— -- Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr.'s scheduled interview with federal agents and prosecutors in the Illinois corruption scandal has been delayed because "they have a traffic jam of people," the Congressman told ABCNews.com this morning.
Jackson Jr. has been identified by federal authorities as Senate Candidate 5, who, according to an FBI affidavit, was being considered by Governor Rod Blagojevich because the Governor believed emissaries of Jackson Jr. had promised to raise $1.5 million in exchange for the Senate seat.
The Chicago Tribune today identified a group of Indian-American businessmen, led by Raghuveer Nayak, whom the paper said organized a fund raiser for the Governor as part of the effort to get Jackson Jr. the Senate appointment. Jackson Jr.'s brother, Jonathon, attended the luncheon along with the Governor, the Tribune said.
The fundraiser was held on October 31, the same date the FBI says Blagojevich is later overheard saying, "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 Senate Candidate 5 a Senator."
Nayak did not respond to requests for comment from ABCNews.com.
