Sandi Jackson Freed from Prison Early — on Her Birthday

CHICAGO, IL — Sandi Jackson — former Chicago alderwoman, wife of ex-U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr., and politically corrupt felon — celebrated her 53rd birthday with an early release from federal prison.

Due to be released Oct. 18, she was free Wednesday a little more than a month shy of completing a one-year sentence at a minimum-security prison in West Virginia. The same facility, dubbed "Camp Cupcake," once housed Martha Stewart. She must serve one year of supervised release and perform 200 hours of community service.

She pleaded guilty in 2013 to lying on her income-tax returns as part of a scheme she and her husband hatched to drain $750,000 from their campaign funds for personal use between 2005 and 2012. She worked as hi campaign treasurer, campaign manager and consultant, and was actively involved in the financial scheming.

What did the Jacksons spend her ill-gotten gains on? According to court records, these purchases were among the items and services the Jacksons obtained with campaign cash:

• Michael Jackson memorabilia, $28,000
• Bruce Lee memorabilia, about $10,000
• Jimi Hendrix memorabilia, $2,775
• Martin Luther King Jr. memorabilia, $11,000
• a men's Rolex watch, $43,350
• personal airfare, $31,700,
• flat-screen TVs and electronics, $10,997
• two Stuffed Elk Heads, $8,000
• five-day retreat at Martha’s Vineyard Holistic Retreat, $5,687.75
• fur capes and parkas, $5,150

Jackson Jr. already has served his time — 23 months of a 30-month sentence. He was freed from prison in September 2015. A judge allowed Sandi Jackson to remain free while her husband was in prison for the sake of their young children, who were 13 and 9 when she was sentenced.

Sandi Jackson represented the the 7th Ward on Chicago’s South Side from 2007 until her resignation in 2013— which came just before the couple entered guilty pleas after striking a deal with prosecutors.

Her husband served in Congress from 1995 until his resignation in 2012, as he was the center of a criminal probe and following treatment for bipolar disorder and depression. His district covered the South Side and parts of the south suburbs.

photo: Jackson campaign