VIDEO: Jesse Jackson Jr.'s exceptionally public quest to replace Barack Obama as the junior U.S. senator from Illinois now involves hiring a lawyer to escort him to a meeting with federal corruption investigators Friday. - SENATE CANDIDATE 5 CONTROVERSY, Jesse Jackson Jr. denies wrongdoing, Congressman says he never sent emissary or offered deal to governor to name him to U.S. Senate seat.

Jesse Jackson Jr.'s exceptionally public quest to replace Barack Obama as the junior U.S. senator from Illinois now involves hiring a lawyer to escort him to a meeting with federal corruption investigators Friday.

Jackson, a Democratic congressman from the South Side, held a news conference Wednesday in Washington to deny any involvement in Gov. Rod Blagojevich's alleged scheme to sell the Senate spot to the highest bidder. But the normally voluble Jackson declined to deviate from his script and take questions from reporters, and he did not directly address his status as the unidentified "Senate Candidate 5" in court documents in the case against Blagojevich.

Prosecutors allege that Blagojevich, who has the sole power to appoint President-elect Obama's successor, was secretly recorded expressing the belief that Candidate 5 would provide something "tangible up front" for the job. Blagojevich also was secretly recorded saying that an emissary from Candidate 5 had offered to raise $1 million if he appointed Candidate 5, officials said.

Sources have identified Candidate 5 as Jackson. The congressman would not acknowledge that, but his lawyer said talks with investigators led him to operate under the assumption that his client is indeed Candidate 5.