Former Congressman Jesse Jackson Jr. and former Chicago Ald. Sandi Jackson reached a settlement Friday in their contentious divorce case, their attorneys said.
The onetime Democratic power couple came to terms on ending their 27-year union Friday morning during a meeting at District of Columbia Superior Court in Washington, the lawyers said. A judge signed off on the divorce at an afternoon hearing, according to a court spokeswoman.
Terms of the settlement were not made public.
A trial date had been set for June, and both Jackson Jr.’s lawyer, Brendan Hammer, and Sandi Jackson’s attorney, Chandra Walker Holloway, said their clients wanted to settle the case before taking it to that stage.
“After two years of often tough litigation, they were able to reach something for themselves individually and for their families collectively,” Hammer said.
Walker Holloway said Sandi Jackson is satisfied with the terms of the settlement. “I feel it’s equitable and they did themselves a favor by solving this in a way that made sense for both of them,” the attorney said. “I’m very pleased for both of them.”
The case has drawn widespread attention, especially since Jackson Jr. had attempted to subpoena former Chicago police Superintendent Garry McCarthy, who is now running for mayor. Hammer and Walker Holloway said McCarthy was not a factor in the settlement and had not been discussed as the Jacksons worked on a final agreement.
“Who is Garry McCarthy?” Walker Holloway deadpanned.
“Mr. McCarthy’s name did not come up at the settlement table and hasn’t come up between the parties in months,” Hammer said.
Jesse Jackson Jr. filed a subpoena against McCarthy in January 2017, demanding that the former police superintendent turn over any emails, text messages, phone records or social media exchanges he had with Sandi Jackson, as well as details of any financial relationship they might have had. But lawyers held off on deposing McCarthy, whose attorney at the time said he had “absolutely nothing to do with the Jackson divorce.”
In a bizarre February 2017 speech outside divorce court, Jackson Jr. said he had tried to subpoena McCarthy and two other men in his divorce case the prior month “because I don’t want my children to ever walk through a grocery store line and see what I found — and look at what we know exists.”
Sandi Jackson tried to subpoena her husband’s onetime travel companion as well as the owners of a strip club and a bathhouse, along with television reporter Tamron Hall. She asked for the date and location of “each and every such incidence of sexual relations” he had with others during their marriage.
But in recent days, the Jacksons decided to put the contentiousness behind them.
“While the marriage has ended, the party’s commitment to their family continues and each of them looks forward to working collaboratively and cooperatively for the benefit of their children and to rebuilding an amicable friendship in the future,” a joint statement said. “While this case was often contentious, the parties ultimately resolved their disputes in person and respectfully — at the settlement table. Sandi and Jesse wish each other well in their future endeavors.”
The Jacksons have two teenage children who live in Washington, D.C., according to a recent court filing.
Jackson Jr. was in Congress from 1995 until he quit in 2012 amid the criminal investigation and treatment for bipolar disorder and depression. Sandi Jackson was Chicago’s 7th Ward alderman from 2007 until she resigned in 2013.
Their divorce follows years of legal troubles. Both pleaded guilty in February 2013 to federal charges related to the former congressman’s looting of about $750,000 from his federal campaign treasury. The money was spent on vacations, furs, celebrity memorabilia and two mounted elk heads. He served 22 months in prison. Sandi Jackson served a one-year sentence for filing false income tax returns.
Sandi Jackson filed for divorce in Washington, D.C., while Jesse Jackson filed in Cook County in 2016.
Their lawyers said discussions on a divorce settlement accelerated in recent weeks. They said resolving issues surrounding the Jacksons’ property was the initial hurdle. Once the they reached agreements on property, other matters fell into place, Hammer and Walker Holloway said without offering specifics.
A March court filing showed the Jacksons own three properties, a house on O Street N.W. in Washington, a D.C. condominium and a house in Chicago. Sandi Jackson wanted a judge to authorize an immediate listing of the O Street house but was denied.
Court papers show Sandi Jackson had asked for the couple’s marital property and debts to be “equitably” divided. She previously asked for alimony, child support and attorney fees.
poconnell@chicagotribune.com
Twitter @pmocwriter
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