Jesse Jackson Jr. and his wife, Sandra, get jail time.
Jesse Jackson Jr. and his wife, Sandra, get jail time. (Susan Walsh, The Associated Press)


Jackson, the 48-year-old son of civil rights leader the Rev. Jesse Jackson, had been a Democratic congressman from Illinois from 1995 until he resigned in November.





Jackson's wife, Sandra, was sentenced to a year in prison for filing joint federal income tax returns that understated the couple's income. She was a Chicago alderman before she resigned this year during the federal investigation of the couple. She spent $5,150 in campaign funds on fur capes and parkas, court documents show.


She will serve her sentence after her husband gets out of prison. The couple, who have two children, ages 13 and 9, asked to serve at separate times.

Jackson's father sat in the front row during the proceedings.

"This has been an extraordinarily difficult time for our family," he told reporters outside the federal courthouse after the sentencing.

Jackson Jr.'s sentence was below the sentencing guidelines, which called for a prison term of 46 to 57 months — or just under four years to just under five years. The government had recommended four years.

Jackson attorney Reid H. Weingarten wrote in court papers that his client's mental health might worsen under the stress of incarceration. Jackson has been treated for depression and bipolar disorder.