CONTROVERSY
An Ilinois politician vying for the seat of retiring senator Dick Durbin has spark controversy for claiming Rev. Jesse Jackson had endorsed her before he died last month.
Ahead of Tuesday's primary Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton posthumously announced the reverend supported her ticket to Washington.
Yet, this news came as a surprise to Jackson's sons, Rep. Jonathan Jackson and Yusef Jackson who are denouncing the claim.
Stratton's opppnent is U.S. Rep. Robin Kelly and both women are Black. Jonathan Jackson expressed doubt about the endorsement commenting to POLITICO: “My father never got in on Black-on-Black fights. He wouldn’t do that. He was always pushing the community forward. This smells of desperation.”
Late Monday Yusef Jackson, the head of the Rainbow PUSH Coalition released a statement clarifying that tge organization will not endorse anyone continuing its usual no-endorsement policy.
Jackson explained that no official endorsement had been finalized before his father’s passing. He said a draft sample ballot was mistakenly released without authorization, which led to the public confusion.
“Out of respect for my father, we decided not to publicly release his intended selections, given the process had not been finalized,” Jackson said.
He also emphasized that the Jackson family does not issue political endorsements, and neither does the Rainbow PUSH Coalition.
He called the situation an “unforeseen controversy” during a time of mourning.