The House Ethics Committee announced earlier this month that it would resume an investigation that began before Blagojevich’s trial. The panel had agreed to abide by a Justice Department request to take no action in the investigation, which is normal practice when the department is concerned a congressional inquiry interferes with its investigation.
Jackson, who has not been charged, has denied wrongdoing. The congressman has acknowledged he was “Senate Candidate A’’ in the Blagojevich criminal complaint, one of several candidates whom authorities say the former governor considered for the Senate seat.
In June, jurors at Blagojevich’s retrial convicted him on 17 of 20 corruption counts, including trying to sell the Senate seat. He is awaiting sentencing. Related charges against his brother, Robert Blagojevich, were dropped after the first corruption trial last year.
Last week the Chicago Sun-Times reported that Robert Blagojevich, a Tennessee businessman, wants to testify before the House committee. He told the newspaper that he had written to committee members offering testimony and that Jackson needs to answer questions.
