Jesse Jackson Has Hired an Ex-Con Sex Offender For His Staff…And Appointed Him a Youth Counselor-Truth! & Fiction!
Summary of eRumor:
The eRumor says that the Rev. Jesse Jackson has added former Chicago Democratic Congressman Mel Reynolds to the staff of the Rainbow/PUSH Coalition. According to the eRumor, Reynolds was serving a federal sentence in prison for convictions of wire fraud, bank fraud, and lies to the Federal Election Commission. He was also serving five years for sleeping with an underage campaign volunteer. Then, Reynolds was among those given pardons by outgoing President Bill Clinton. According to the eRumor, it’s the first time that an ex-congressman who had sex with a subordinate won clemency from a president who had sex with a subordinate, then was hired by a clergyman who had sex with a subordinate. The eRumor adds that Reynolds has been hired as a youth counselor.
The Truth:
The text for this eRumor is taken from an article written by Deroy Murdock, a columnist for the Scripps Howard News Service. It was published on February 9, 2001. The facts about Reynolds, his convictions, and his pardon are accurate. According to the article, it is also true that Jesse Jackson added Reynolds to the Rainbow/PUSH coalition payroll.
He was not hired as a youth counselor, however, but as a consultant on prison reform.