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JESSE JR. ADMITS: I’M NO. 5

WASHINGTON – Rep. Jesse jackson Jr. (right) yesterday admitted that he is “Candidate 5” – who Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich claimed would raise more than $1 million for his campaign war chest in exchange for getting Barack Obama‘s Senate seat.

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Federal authorities want to speak with Jackson, a seven-term congressman and the son of civil-rights leader Rev. Jesse Jackson.

The Chicago lawmaker, who openly acknowledged his interest in the seat, told reporters he is not accused of any misconduct and is not a target of the investigation.

The 76-page federal complaint against Blagojevich quotes the governor saying on secret wiretaps that an associate of Senate “Candidate 5” – known only as “Individual D” in the court papers – approached him with a “pay to play” offer to raise funds for the governor’s campaign in return for being tapped for the Senate job.

“You know, he’d raise me 500 grand. An emissary came,” Blagojevich said on the recording. “Then the other guy would raise a million, if I made [Senate Candidate 5] a senator.”

In the part of the document relating to Jackson, Blagojevich instructs someone identified as Fund-raiser A to tell Individual D that “some of this stuff’s gotta start happening now . . . right now . . . and we gotta see it. You understand?”

Blagojevich told Fund-raiser A to communicate that they needed “tangible political support [campaign contributions]. Like you’ve said, start showing us now.”

The governor says he has an experience in the past of Candidate 5 not keeping his word.

He warned: “You gotta be careful how you express that, and assume everybody’s listening, the whole world is listening. You hear me?”

Jackson yesterday denied any wrongdoing.

“I did not authorize anyone at any time to promise anything to Gov. Blagojevich on my behalf. I never sent a message or an emissary to the governor to make an offer or to plead my case or to propose a deal about the US Senate seat, period.”

Jackson made his comments just a day after US Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald unveiled a spectacular document charging Blagojevich with extorting aspirants who want to fill Obama’s Senate seat.

The feds, who had bugged the governor’s office and tapped his phone, caught Blagojevich on tape saying, “I’ve got this thing and it’s f – – – ing golden and . . . I’m just not giving it up for f – – – in’ nothing.”

At one point, in apparent frustration, Blagojevich suggested appointing Candidate 5 if Obama failed to do anything for him, such as helping the governor’s wife get on corporate boards.

“If they feel like they can do this and not f – – – ing give me anything . . . then I’ll f – – – ing go [Senate Candidate 5].”

Others contending for the seat have included Obama pal Valerie Jarrett, Rep. Jan Schakowsky, Illinois Senate President Emil Jones, Rep. Danny Davis and state veterans-affairs official Tammy Duckworth.

Jackson yesterday called on Blagojevich to resign and give up his authority to name Obama’s successor.

“The fact is, anyone appointed by the governor at this point would be too severely tainted to serve the state effectively and without suspicion in the US Senate,” he said.

Fitzgerald Tuesday stressed that there were only two people accused of wrongdoing, Blagojevich and his aide.

geoff.earle@nypost.com