This week the vast majority of media reports and commentaries worldwide were either about the arrest of IMF head Dominique Strauss-Kahn or about the lovechild of former Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. Therefore, it seems fitting that I should end the week with this update on another political scandal.
This one stems from the arrest in November of Jack Johnson, the Executive of Prince George’s County, Maryland.
Recall that both Johnson and his wife were targets of a very lengthy FBI investigation into widespread political corruption in this suburb of Washington, DC. Most sensationally, he was caught on tape instructing her to flush a $100,000 check down the toilet when she phoned to tell him that FBI agents were knocking at the door.
Their scheme to get rid of incriminating evidence became truly farcical when she could be heard telling him that she was going to stuff over $70,000 in cash in her bra. This cash was later discovered when she was duly searched after her arrest.
I suggested back then that, notwithstanding the presumption of innocence, Johnson and his wife would do well to cop pleas instead of risking jury verdicts. Now Johnson has.
Former Prince George’s County Executive Jack B. Johnson, age 62, of Mitchellville, Maryland, pleaded guilty today to an extortion conspiracy relating to the performance of his official duties; and tampering with a witness and evidence… In exchange for the bribes, Jack Johnson … performed and agreed to perform favorable official actions for … developers, business owners and their companies.
(Statement from the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, The Baltimore Sun, May 17, 2011)
Alas, he did not have much to say for himself after confessing to being the mastermind behind this pay-for-play scheme:
I’m very sorry for what happened. We all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of the Lord.
(WBAL, May 17, 2011)
Johnson faces 20 years in prison when he’s sentenced in September. Reports are that his plea will not redound to his wife’s benefit in separate plea negotiations. I know enough to know, however, that it most certainly will. He may be a venal schemer, but this does not mean that he would hang his wife out to dry. Indeed, I’m sure he instructed his lawyers to insist on leniency for his wife in exchange for his plea. A deal in her case is expected to be announced in due course.
Related commentaries:
Arrest of PG Exec Jack Johnson…
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