[Blitzer:] President-elect Barack Obama's incoming White House chief of staff, Rahm Emanuel, is a product of Illinois politics, just like his future boss. And he's been facing some questions about his contacts with the state's embattled governor. Let's go to Jessica Yellin. She's covering the transition to power for us in Chicago. What's the latest on this part of this story, Jessica?
[Jessica Yellin, Cnn Congressional Correspondent:] Wolf, I have been told by a person briefed on the investigation that Rahm Emanuel himself was told by investigators that he is not a target of this investigation. Well, that is significant for two reasons. First, most obviously, the president-elect would not want his incoming chief of staff to be suspected of any wrongdoing. And so the prosecutor in this case is saying that he was in their view involved in no wrongdoing, so no doubt a relief to the entire team that that speculation can be dispelled, any speculation out there. The other piece of this is that it seems unlikely that the federal investigators would inform Emanuel that he's in no way a target if he weren't in some way involved. So, perhaps he could have been one of those D.C. advisers that the governor instructed his aides to call. Perhaps there were some contacts. But the overriding message out of this information is that he clearly was involved in no wrongdoing and won't be implicated by the investigation, but, of course, just more speculation that they continue to not answer questions about over at Obama headquarters. There's a lot of silence coming out of there these days Wolf.
[Blitzer:] Yes, we will see when they release the final summary, as the president-elect said yesterday he would be releasing within days. But if you read that 76-page criminal complaint that the U.S. attorney filed, Jessica, you can see there's no love lost between Barack Obama and Rod Blagojevich, the embattled governor. All right, we will watch this story with our viewers. Thank you. Many Illinois Democrats are going to great lengths right now to try to distance themselves from the corruption charges against the governor. Congressman Jesse Jackson Jr. says for him it's nothing short of a fight for his political life. Let's bring in CNN's Don Lemon, who had a chance to sit down with Congressman Jesse Jackson Jr. earlier today. Don, good work, but tell our viewers the bottom line, what he told you.
[Don Lemon, Cnn Anchor:] Well, the bottom line is that he's professing his innocence, and more vehemently and adamantly than he did in the press conference just a couple of days ago. We're live here, Wolf, on the North Side of Chicago. Jesse Jackson Jr. Lives way on the South Side of Chicago. And, basically, what he said to me in that interview is that they live far apart in the city and they couldn't be further apart at least politically, if the governor thinks that in any way Jesse Jackson Jr. thought he was going to buy that seat. Take a listen.
[Lemon:] This is what Senate candidate number five, congressman Jesse Jackson Jr., woke up to, a "Chicago Tribune" investigation questioning whether two of his campaign contributors, along with Jackson's brother, Jonathan, took part in a scheme to raise millions for Governor Rod Blagojevich. In return, he would appoint Jackson to Barack Obama's vacated Senate seat. [on camera]: Do you know these businessmen? Have you done business with them? And to your knowledge, were they emissaries at all to raise money for you in order to get you that Senate seat?
[J. Jackson:] No, they were not. I made that perfectly clear. And, so, Mr. Nayak also happens to be a friend of the governor. Did I ask him to advocate on my behalf? No. Did I send him as an emissary to me on behalf of the Senate campaign? The answer is no. And that's unequivocal.
[Lemon:] Jackson and his wife, Sandi, sat down with me and talked about what they say is the fight of their lives.
[J. Jackson:] On this question of being in the United States Senate or not, let me be perfectly clear. While I would be honored to serve the people of this state, it is clear to me that I am in no capacity to serve them if there is a cloud over my head that seems to suggest I am involved in some unscrupulous scheme to be a United States senator or to be anything else. And so it's very important for me to allow this process to play itself out. I need to find out, and we all need to find out the truth.
[Lemon:] Your name is being dragged through the mud. I have got a great name, given to me by great parents. And I have got a great father who has a great legacy of public service.
[J. Jackson:] It's so great, it's so great, that I named my daughter Jessica, and I named my son Jesse. So, I'm fighting now for my character. But I'm also fighting for my life. And I'm fighting for them. And I'm fighting for them. And I'm fighting for them. This is about my children being able to Google their name in five years, and there be nothing there associated with it that suggests anything wrong.
[Lemon:] Do you personally know the Blagojeviches, both of you?
[Sandi Jackson, Wife Of Jesse Jackson Jr:] Yes.
[Lemon:] Do you know them? Do you know them?
[S. Jackson:] Yes, sure, we do.
[Lemon:] Do you know Patti?
[S. Jackson:] I do.
[Lemon:] You know Patti?
[S. Jackson:] I know Patti. And even that surprised me. I because I just I never saw that side of Patti. So, I was shocked by it. I don't know why she said what she said. I could only think that, you know, she's under an immense amount of stress. Whatever was going on in their lives had to be promoting some stress. And so maybe she was reacting to that.
[Lemon:] It's interesting, Wolf, because Jesse Jackson Jr. says, although he thought he was being honest about all of this, going and talking to the governor as late as Monday, and then the governor arrested the next day, he said he thought he had a real clear shot at that seat. But now that he looks back at it and he has read the affidavit, he doesn't believe that the governor was really considering him or taking a serious consideration of him at all, Wolf.
[Blitzer:] And I know one part of this interview, you talked to him, and he's not a rich guy, but he's got to go ahead and hire an attorney now to represent him. And that's going to cost a lot of money.
[Lemon:] Absolutely. I talked to him in his kitchen, and he said: You know, I will be honest with you, Don. We're not rich people, and I probably have less money now than when I entered public service. And he said: I have to keep a house here in Chicago. I have to keep a house in Washington. I have to send my kids to school, and now I have to pay for a high- powered attorney. He said: This Christmas will not be good. In fact, he is asking his brothers for money to help out.
[Blitzer:] All right. Don Lemon in Chicago for us Don, good work. Thanks very much.
[Lemon:] Thank you.
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