Second subpoena target argues ‘no connection’ to Jackson divorce

Former Chicago Police Sgt. Rick Simon — one of three men subpoenaed in the Jesse Jackson Jr. and Sandi Jackson divorce case — has filed papers stating he has “no connection” with the Jacksons or their marriage.

Simon, former Chicago Police Supt. Garry McCarthy and former Chicago Police officer James Love were all issued subpoenas by Jesse Jackson Jr.’s attorneys in the divorce case, which is being heard in courtrooms in both Chicago and Washington, D.C., as the two sides fight over jurisdiction.

In an affidavit filed on Monday, Simon — who now runs a cleaning company with city contracts — wrote that he doesn’t know either Jesse Jr. or Sandi Jackson, and hasn’t done any business with them.

“I have no connection with the Jacksons, their marriage, their business or personal affairs as the subpoena improperly presupposes and infers,” Simon’s affidavit states.

Simon writes that he had met them once and had “one, 60-second telephone conversation” with Jesse Jackson Jr.

“In particular, in September 2016, J. Jackson’s brother called me. He put J. Jackson on the telephone to ask me if I knew anything about his wife,” Simon wrote. “I told him that I did not, and that ended the conversation.”

Simon’s subpoena requested information and documents relating to conversations he had with Jesse Jackson Jr., his family and Sandi Jackson.

Simon is the president and CEO of United Security Services Inc., a cleaning, staffing and security company. One of Simon’s firms has been paid more than $100 million by the Emanuel administration under a 2012 deal to perform janitorial services at O’Hare Airport for five years, city records show.

Meanwhile, McCarthy’s attorney Morgan Stogsdill on Tuesday called the former superintendent’s subpoena in the case “surprising and unwarranted.” Stogsdill said McCarthy “has absolutely nothing to do with the Jackson divorce.”

Depositions for the three subpoenas won’t be heard until another status hearing Feb. 27 — prompted after Sandi Jackson filed a motion to try to quash the subpoenas. Sandi Jackson’s filing requested a hearing “to prevent any further discovery abuse by Jesse.” And McCarthy’s attorney reached an additional agreement with Jesse Jackson Jr.’s attorney that McCarthy wouldn’t be deposed before the hearing. If a judge rules in Sandi Jackson’s favor, the former top cop may not ever have to be deposed in the Chicago case.

Meanwhile, Sandi Jackson hopes the case is heard in Washington, where she lives with the couple’s two children. There is a status hearing in the D.C. case on Thursday.

The former high-profile political couple married in 1991. Jesse Jackson Jr. is a former congressman; Sandi Jacksno once served on the Chicago City Council.

Sandi and Jesse Jackson Jr. both pleaded guilty in August 2013 to various schemes relating to the looting of his congressional campaign fund. Both went to prison for diverting $750,000 from campaign funds for their personal use between 2005 and 2012.