Sergio Acosta Weighs in on the Jacksons' Sentencing on Chicago Tonight

CHICAGO, IL. - Sergio E. Acosta, a Partner in the Chicago office of Hinshaw & Culbertson LLP and a member of the firm's White Collar Defense & Internal Investigations group, and Gil Soffer from Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP were interviewed by Carol Marin on Chicago Tonight last week to discuss the Jesse Jackson Jr. and Sandra Jackson sentencing.

Last Wednesday, a district court judge sentenced former Representative Jesse Jackson Jr. to serve 30 months in prison, and his wife, Sandra Jackson, a former Chicago alderman, to serve a 12-month sentence. Mr. Jackson was found guilty of defrauding campaign contributors by stealing $750,000 of campaign funds. In a related offense, Mrs. Jackson was convicted of tax evasion. Both defendants pled guilty to the charges.

Mr. Acosta and Mr. Soffer discussed the differences between the sentences for the Jacksons' and former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich, and also discussed how an acceptance of responsibility had an effect on each of these sentences.

They also discussed whether Mr. Jackson's bipolar disorder and the Jacksons' minor children played any role in the sentences imposed. Mr. Acosta mentioned how the judge's decision to stagger Mr. and Mrs. Jackson's sentences due to the couple's responsibility to their minor children is not unusual, whether the case involves a high profile individual or not.

Watch the full video interview on Chicago Tonight's website.

Mr. Acosta represents individuals and businesses in white collar crime, corporate governance, corporate investigations, regulatory enforcement and gaming law. Mr. Acosta previously held high-level positions in the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Illinois and the Dade County (Florida) State Attorney's Office. He also served as Administrator of the Illinois Gaming Board.