Late Friday afternoon, when news traditionally is buried, the federal government filed charges against former Congressman Jesse Jackson, Jr., scion to a race shakedown empire, and his wife Sandra. In essence, they are accused of using campaign funds to finance a lavish lifestyle. Another man of the people with the sort of taste for luxury that ought to have caused him to be rejected years ago, but who escaped criticism because of his name and his race.

Fredreka Schouten and Kevin Johnson of USA Today have the details:

Former congressman Jesse Jackson Jr. was charged Friday with misusing hundreds of thousands of campaign dollars for personal use -- as a long-running criminal investigation into his conduct neared an end.

His wife, Sandra, was charged with filing false tax returns in a separate criminal indictment, released Friday by federal authorities.

Jackson and his attorneys have been in plea negotiations with the U.S. Justice Department, multiple media reports indicate. The Associated Press reported Friday that an attorney for Sandra Jackson said she had signed a plea deal with authorities. (snip)

The charge against Jesse Jackson Jr. carries a maximum penalty of up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine, according to the Justice Department. His wife faces a maximum penalty of three years in prison and a $100,000 fine.