Jesse Jackson Jr. Announces Resignation

Under investigation and mentally troubled

The once-promising political career of Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. came to a crashing end Wednesday, when the Illinois Democrat announced he would resign his seat in Congress amid treatment for mental illness, stories of marital infidelity and a pair of federal investigations.

The Illinois Democrat, the son of the civil rights icon, has been mostly missing from the House since June. Jackson Jr., 47, has been under federal investigations for alleged involvement in campaign finance improprieties as well as his involvement in imprisoned former Gov. Rod Blagojevich's attempt to sell President Barack Obama's U.S. Senate seat.