Jackson Jr. to Respond at 4:15

Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. (D-Ill.) will hold a news conference at 4:15 p.m. to respond to reports that he’s the Senate candidate with emissaries willing to deal with Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich (D).

Jackson told ABC News on Wednesday that it’s an “impossibility” that anyone affiliated with him talked about providing money to Blagojevich in exchange for the appointment of Jackson to Illinois’s vacant U.S. Senate seat. The network has reported that Jackson is indeed the candidate referred to in a criminal complaint who allegedly has an emissary who spoke to Blagojevich about a deal for the seat.

Blagojevich and his chief of staff, John Harris, were arrested Tuesday on charges that they tried to sell the Senate seat vacated by President-elect Obama.