It's All in the (Jackson) Family
As Jesse Jackson Jr. likely heads to prison, let's recall the sordid business career of the founder of the family dynasty.
Jesse Jackson [Sr.] dropped plans to boycott Anheuser-Busch only after two of his sons were awarded a beer distributorship. Jackson dismissed the charge. "It's their business," he said. "I should not answer any of their business. I am proud of them."
And while Jackson denies that he tailors his criticism of corporate America according to the size of their donations to his organizations, the record raises questions. In 1998, for example, he lobbied against the merger of Bell Atlantic and GTE, saying they were an "apartheid system" of telecommunications. But after a 1999 donation of $1 million to [his Citizens Education Fund], Jackson applauded the proposed deal as a way to "deliver the benefits of growth in the telecommunication industry."
"Let the critics try to discredit us," Jackson said today. "Our record is one of discipline, dignity, integrity and results."
See more of our coverage in your search results.
Got a tip? Send it to The Daily Beast here.
Register below to read this article for free or subscribe
to unlock unlimited access to The Daily Beast.
Monthly
$1
First month then $5.99/month
Annual
$35
First year then $59.99/year
Premium
$79
First year then $119.99/year
*Substack access provided by the next business day, using your subscription email. Choosing the Premium plan constitutes your permission to share your subscription email with Substack and your agreement to Substack’s Privacy Policy.
Already have an account? Sign In
Looks like you already have a subscription!
You're all set!
Thanks for subscribing.