Jesse Jackson Jr., Illinois congressman, resigns due to bipolar disorder

Illinois Representative Jesse Jackson Jr. has resigned his House seat because of his recently diagnosed bipolar disorder, Reuters reported.

"My health issues and treatment regimen have become incompatible with service in the House of Representatives. Therefore, it is with great regret that I hereby resign … effective today, in order to focus on restoring my health,” Jackson said in a letter to House Speaker John Boehner, according to Reuters.

Jackson, a Chicago Democrat named after his civil rights leader father, dropped out of public life in June to get treatment for his bipolar disorder, although his aides first said he was suffering from exhaustion, the New York Times reported.

He was still receiving treatment at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota two weeks ago when he was reelected to Congress with 63 percent of the vote in his district, the New York Times reported.

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Jackson is also being investigated for possible misuse of campaign funds, Reuters reported.

In his letter to Boehner, Jackson wrote: "I am aware of the ongoing federal investigation into my activities and I am doing my best to address the situation responsibly, cooperate with the investigators, and accept responsibility for my mistakes, for they are my mistakes and mine alone.”