Senate Candidate 5: Continued Speculation

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UPDATE: ABC News reports, sources finger Rep. Jesse Jackson, Jr. as Senate Candidate 5.

While there are many unnamed officials and deputy governors in the criminal complaint filed against Gov. Rod Blagojevich, the one getting the most attention is still Senate Candidate 5. According to Christy Hardin Smith at FireDogLake, the Chicago press is discussing the possibility that this unnamed individual could be indicted:

On C-Span’s Washington Journal this morning, Chicago newsman Mike Flannery of WBBM-TV CBS2 had some interesting scuttlebutt. Seems the word on the Chicago streets is that an indictment of Senate Candidate 5 may be a possibility.

Speculation has largely centered around Rep. Jesse Jackson, Jr., as he was the only known replacement candidate to meet with Blagojevich at times that correspond to the times laid out in the complaint. The only tip in the complaint that makes Jackson somewhat unlikely is that the person offered to raise a large sum of money and Jackson is not known as a good fundraiser. Other possibilities include former State Senate President Emil Jones, a monster fundraiser; State Assemblyman Arthur Turner; Rep. Danny Davis, who has denied; and Rep. Luis Gutierrez, who is facing his own problems. Gutierrez could be a strong underdog here. As the Chicago Tribune article linked to above shows, he isn’t afraid to walk close to the line of unethical behavior.