| By Mary Wisniewski CHICAGO (Reuters) - Jesse Jackson, Jr., a U.S. Congressman from Illinois, will remain under the care of physicians to manage and treat his depression, according to a statement on Wednesday from the Mayo Clinic. Jackson, who is reportedly under investigation for possible misuse of campaign funds, left the clinic in Rochester, Minnesota on Tuesday, according to Nicholas Hanson, a Mayo spokesman. "He and his family remain grateful for support and prayers offered and received on his behalf," Hanson said in the statement. Jackson is being treated for bipolar disorder, a psychological condition marked by extreme mood swings. The news follows media reports that the Chicago Democrat has hired high-profile criminal defense lawyer Dan Webb to handle negotiations with the federal government on a possible plea deal. In addition, The Wall Street Journal has reported that the investigation into possible spending of campaign funds to decorate Jackson's Washington, D.C. home has expanded to include Jackson's wife, Sandi, a Chicago alderman. Federal authorities have not confirmed the reports. Representatives of the Jacksons have not returned calls seeking comment. The alderman also did not appear Wednesday at a meeting of the Chicago City Council's human relations committee, of which she is a member. Fox Chicago television reported Wednesday that she had texted the station saying that her husband's attorneys asked the family not to comment, adding: "It's killing me because 90 percent of this stuff is false." Between 2001 and 2012, Sandi Jackson's consulting firm, J. Donatella & Associates, received nearly $472,000 from her husband's campaign. The biggest payments came in the 2011-12 campaign finance cycle, at $120,000 as of October 31, and the 2009-10 cycle, at $116,000, according to the website OpenSecrets.org, which compiles campaign financial data. The Federal Election Commission has declared the practice of lawmakers employing relatives as legal for campaign committees. Sandi Jackson's campaign, Friends of Sandi Jackson, has received $242,012 from her husband's campaign since 2005, according to OpenSecrets. Continued... |