Congressman Promises Bill to Strip Jesse Jackson Jr. of Work Comp Benefits

Thursday, May 18, 2017 | 0

A Republican congressman intends to introduce a bill that would ban former U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. from receiving workers’ compensation benefits, according to a report Wednesday by the Chicago Sun-Times.

Jesse Jackson Jr.

Jackson and his wife, Sandi, were both convicted in 2013 of looting about $750,000 from Jackson’s campaign account when he was serving as a Democratic U.S. representative for Illinois. The couple divorced and a child-custody dispute led to disclosure that Jackson was receiving $124,052 annually in Federal Employee Compensation Act benefits and Social Security Disability benefits for an unspecified on-the-job injury in 2012.

Rep. Rodney Davis, R-Illinois, told the Sun-Times that he intends to introduce the “Protecting Taxpayers from Corruption Act” to force any former member of Congress convicted of converting campaign contributions to personal use to forfeit workers’ compensation benefits. In addition, the act would require the chief administrative officer of the House of Representatives to submit an annual report to the House Administration Committee listing members or former members receiving workers’ compensation payments, according to the Sun-Times.

Jackson’s attorney, Brendan Hammer, told the newspaper that Jackson’s disability payments are a private matter that his client will address only with his physicians and the government agencies that oversee his benefit payments.

The Sun-Times report is here.