Gubernatorial candidate Jackson avoids jail by paying child support
Gubernatorial candidate Grayson "Kash" Jackson avoided jail Monday by paying more than $3,000 in back child support to his ex-wife.
However, Jackson isn't out of the woods yet. He still owes additional money in back child support and other education and health care related expenses, attorney Raymond Boldt said. Boldt said the total amount Jackson owes is unknown at this time.
Jackson, the Libertarian candidate from Antioch, faced a Monday deadline to pay $3,067 to his ex-wife in back child support or be held in contempt of court by Judge Joseph Salvi.
The two sides will return to court Oct. 12 when Boldt said he hopes to have a final total Jackson owes.
Parental rights is a key campaign issue for Jackson, who was named Benjamin Winderweedle before a legal name change in 2017. During previous interviews, Jackson claimed he is running for governor because his rights as a father have been ignored.
Jackson has said he is unemployed and living exclusively on disability and pension payments from serving in the Navy 20 years. He's said in court he takes home about $4,500 a month from those benefits.
Payments for his three children total about $2,500 per month, about 40 percent of his monthly take-home payment from the Navy, he said.
Jackson was found in contempt of court in May because he refused to pay his second ex-wife $6,067 in back child support and other education and health care related expenses. In order to stay out of jail, the court required he pay at least half that amount.
Jackson has two children with his second wife, and one son with his first wife. Jackson is behind on child support in both cases, though the total amount owed to each ex-wife is disputed.
Jackson said previously he would continue to run for governor had Salvi ordered him held in jail for not paying child support.