Twenty minutes into her February 20 Jansing & Co. program, MSNBC anchor Chris Jansing noted that former Illinois Democrat Jesse Jackson was entering a federal courtroom later that hour to plead guilty to campaign finance violations. Only Jansing left out the part about Jackson being a Democrat.
What's more, while Jansing noted that Jackson's wife Sandi was answering charges of filing false tax returns, she failed to note that Sandi Jackson, also a Democrat, resigned her seat as Chicago city alderman in January.
CHRIS JANSING, anchor: This hour, former congressman Jesse Jackson Jr. Is expected to enter a guilty plea in federal court. Jackson is charged with illegally spending $750,000 of campaign money. Buying things like Michael Jackson memorabilia. His wife will appear in the same court this afternoon, charged as a co-conspirator. She is accused of filing false tax returns."
Nearly and hour and a half later, MSNBC's Thomas Roberts aired video of Jackson and his wife leaving the federal courthouse in Washington, D.C., followed by a statement by one of his attorneys, Reid Weingarten. At no point during this brief segment, however, did Roberts mention Jackson's party affiliation.
