A Congressional ethics board opened an investigation last week into Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. (D-IL) to probe the Congressman’s role in the scandal of former Illinois governor Rod Blagojevich, who is accused of trying to sell Barack Obama’s vacant senate seat. Investigators have asked parties related to the ex-governor to release documents showing correspondence with Jackson. The head of the Office of Congressional Ethics said that Jackson has not been accused of wrongdoing, and that the probe is only a fact-gathering entity that does not have subpoena power. (Chicago Sun-Times)Rev. Al Sharpton entered the fight against Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaio, who has become a hero of the anti-immigration movement for leading a three-year crackdown on illegal immigrants in Arizona, which has included controversial tactics like occasional crime sweeps in mostly Hispanic neighborhoods. Sharpton told reporters that many of the 1,500 arrests Arpaio approved were based on racial profiling and called on Arpaio to resign. In response, Arpaio said that Sharpton is “living in a fantasy land if he thinks he is going to pressure me into anything.” (Reuters)
This is a companion discussion topic for the original entry at https://talkingpointsmemo.com/?p=144029