Emanuel keeping his options open: Retains $1.7M war chest for possible return to House, speaker bid

The Chicago Sun-Times reports:

White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel is retaining his $1.76 million political war chest, I've been told, with Emanuel keeping his options open for a return to an elected position.

"The account will obviously remain dormant during the time that former Congressman Emanuel is serving as President Obama's chief of staff," Emanuel spokesman Sarah Feinberg told me. "No decisions have been made about what will be done with the account or the funds in the account in the future."

No word yet from the patronage army of Chicago Democrats on this one.