Convicted Felon Jesse Jackson Jr. Lives Well at Public Expense

Remember Jesse Jackson Jr., the drunken and mentally disturbed congresscritter who is so conspicuously corrupt that he actually managed to get thrown in jail despite his politically preferred pigmentation and famous parentage? No need to worry about him; he is living quite well — at your expense:

Records from former U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr.’s divorce case show how he has been able to collect hefty benefit checks from the federal government after serving time in prison for looting hundreds of thousands of dollars from his campaign fund.

Jackson, 51, receives about $138,400 a year — more than he made as a freshman congressman in 1995. Most of that — about $100,000 — is workers’ compensation and tax-free, according to Chicago attorney Barry Schatz, who is representing Jackson in his divorce proceeding.

The rest of Jackson’s benefits are Social Security Disability Insurance payments, some of which may be taxable, Schatz said.

The payments flow to Jackson because he has bipolar disorder and depression — the issues that led to an extended leave from Congress in 2012…

For the Jackson clan, the scams never end. Certainly this crook’s head is full of loose screws, but how is that worth a fortune to taxpayers? It appears bureaucrats let his lawyers convince them that his mental problems were caused by the stress of being in Congress.

Jackson, a Chicago Democrat, spent 17 years in Congress before resigning while under FBI investigation. He pleaded guilty in 2013 to using about $750,000 in campaign cash over several years for vacations, luxury goods, celebrity memorabilia and other items. At the time he resigned in late November 2012, he was being paid $174,000 a year.

Before quitting, Jackson had taken a leave for treatment for bipolar disorder and depression. …

Jackson, sentenced to 30 months in prison, spent about 22 months in correctional facilities, a halfway house and home detention. He remains on supervised release, or what used to be called parole, a federal official said Wednesday.

If he ever gets bored, he can always run for Congress again. His Southside constituents will forgive him anything; they have already elected him while he was a resident at a mental institution.

On tips from Don M and Byron.