Rep. Jesse Jackson, Jr. (D-IL) denied any wrongdoing involved with the corruption case of Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich during a press conference on Wednesday.
A lawyer for Jackson confirmed Wednesday that he was "Senate Candidate #5" in the affidavit for the corruption charges against Blagojevich, who was arrested Tuesday.
However, at the press conference, Jackson, Jr. denied any wrongdoing in the controversy surrounding Blagojevich and claimed that he never had a "pay-to-play" conversation with the governor about filling President-elect Barack Obama's vacated Senate seat.
Jackson, Jr. did not deny his interest in filling the seat but said he "mistakenly" believed that Blagojevich was evaluating his candidacy for the seat "based upon credentials and qualifications"
"In the 13 years I served in the Congress of the United States, I only missed two votes and no other Democrat and no Republican in the Congress of the United States who can say that," said Jackson, Jr.
"I thought — mistakenly — that the governor was going to make a decision in the best interest of our state as well as our nation. I thought — mistakenly — that the governor was considering me based on 13 years of hard work on behalf of the people of our state as well as our nation," continued Jackson, Jr.
Obama called for Blagojevich to resign on Wednesday amid the controversy. The governor and his chief of staff were arrested Tuesday for attempting to put Obama's Senate seat on sale "to the highest bidder."
In the U.S. House of Representatives, Jackson, Jr. represents Illinois's 2nd congressional district, which includes the southeast suburbs of Chicago, part of the Chicago South Side and a small portion of the southeast side of Chicago.
Jackson, Jr., the son of civil rights leader Jesse Jackson, also served as a national co-chairman of the Barack Obama presidential campaign.
Emil Jones, the president of the Illinois Senate, and Rep. Danny Davis (D-IL), who represents Illinois's 7th congressional district, have also been named as frontrunners for Obama's Senate seat.
Jones has served as president of the state senate since 2003 and previously was a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from 1973-1983. Davis has served in the House since 1997.
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