In the most definitive statement so far on the condition of Congressman Jesse Jackson Jr., the Mayo Clinic said that the Chicago legislator is being treated “for extensive inpatient evaluation for depression and gastrointestinal issues."

The Mayo Clinic, based in Rochester, Minnesota, said that "further information will be released as Jackson’s evaluation proceeds.

"Congressman Jackson and his family are grateful for the outpouring of support and prayers that have been received throughout his care,” the statement said.

For more than a month, the congressman has been the topic of intense interest after taking medical leave from Congress on June 10 and not disclosing his location.

Since then, the congressman’s office offered little more in the way of information, saying that he suffered from “physical and emotional ailments.” 

At that time, Jackson's chief of staff, Rick Bryant, released a brief statement from the physician treating the lawmaker that read, "The congressman is receiving intensive medical treatment at a residential treatment facility for a mood disorder. He is responding positively to treatment and is expected to make a full recovery."

Bryant also noted that rumors that Jackson was being treated for alcohol or substance abuse were not true. He did not, however, offer any additional information, such as where the congressman is being treated or for how long, citing federal privacy laws.

Over the weekend, the congressman’s father, the Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr., declined to provide additional information when asked for comment at the Rainbow PUSH Coalition’s weekly meeting. He said only that there was no timetable for the length of his his son's treatment.

The 47-year-old Jackson recently won the Democratic primary for reelection from his Chicago-area congressional district.

Jackson is under investigation by the House Ethics Committee resulting from allegations that a longtime friend, Raghuveer Nayak, offered former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich up to $6 million in campaign cash to appoint Jackson to President Obama’s seat in the United States Senate.

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 (Photo: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)