It appears Jesse Jackson Jr.’s legal problems may have recently gotten worse. Even though he already overcame his previous trouble by pleading guilty to mismanaging campaign funds and spending time in prison for the crime, he continues to battle his former wife over child support issues. She also spent time in prison for the similar crimes as Jackson, and the two have since divorced. Some parents in Washington may relate to the contentious situation.
The main issue at hand seems to be how much child support Jackson should pay, although there is also a disagreement as to which state the child support situation should be resolved. As for the amount, Jackson’s attorneys have filed a formal request asking the court to lower the amount since his two children are receiving Social Security benefits. Jackson himself reportedly receives approximately $138,000 a year in disability benefits for bipolar disorder and says he has been made to hand over more than $14,000 to his children, which he believes is too much.
Jackson says he’s not deadbeat dad, but he feels his former wife is taking advantage of him. He wants the case to be resolved in Chicago, but his wife is adamant that the court in Washington D.C. have the final say because that it is where she and her children live. Currently, Jackson also contributes financial support to his children’s private education.
The children in question are ages 16 and 13. Hearings are scheduled in March for the case in Washington D.C. and in April for the Chicago case. Such child support grievances can take quite a while to resolve. The process is often expedited when an experienced attorney acts on a parent’s behalf in court.
Source: Chicago Sun-Times, “Jesse Jackson Jr. argues law is on his side in child support flap“, March 1, 2017
