Both the Washington Post and the Washington Times are reporting that Prince George’s County (Maryland) Executive Jack Johnson (shown left) and his wife, herself a Prince George’s County councilman-elect, were arrested on corruption charges by the Federal Bureau of Investigation today.
From the November 12, 2010, press release issued by the US Attorney for the District of Maryland:
“According to the affidavit filed in support of the criminal complaint, the FBI initiated an investigation into allegations that certain real estate developers in Prince George’s County, Maryland were bribing public officials in exchange for official acts favorable to the developers and their companies. The affidavit alleges that this and a related investigation led to a series of wiretap orders from September 2009 to the present.
The Prince George’s County Department of Housing and Community Development (“DHCD”) administered the HOME Investment Partnerships program, which provides federal grants to states and localities to fund the construction, purchase and/or rehabilitation of affordable housing for rent or home-ownership. According to the complaint, the Director of DHCD has the authority to recommend which developers should receive HOME funds for development projects in the County. A developer with projects in Prince George’s County sought and obtained HOME funds from the County for the developer’s projects. The complaint alleges that Jack Johnson received cash and checks, including a $100,000 check, from the developer in return for Johnson’s help, in his official capacity as County Executive, in securing HOME funds for the developer’s projects.”
It is interesting that Housing and Urban Development (HUD) grant money was involved. One component of the allegation is that a developer bribed Johnson to make sure the developer received HUD money to support the developer’s projects. Communities (including Coeur d’Alene) that receive HUD grant money have considerable discretion in how it is disbursed.
The most readable details are in the Washington Post story. They clearly show how long an investigation of public corruption often takes. Clearly, more arrests and more charges will may follow.
See the USA Today story for more personal details about both Johnson and his wife, including that Mr. Johnson had been the PG County prosecuting attorney for eight years.
Thanks to new registrant Terry Harris, here is The Baltimore Sun’s account.
Addendum on 11-13-2010: This morning’s Washington Post ran a very good companion article that chronicles the evolution of Johnson’s (alleged) corruption. The signs had been present and in some cases, recognized, long before Johnson and his wife were arrested. The point is made very effectively that public corruption doesn’t spring up overnight. Corrupt public officials are often considered pillars of the community, people who would never take advantage of those who trust them.
As a former Marylander, I still follow this stuff, and it really is worth clicking over to the Baltimore Sun account and reading the actual complaint. Flushing a $100k check down the toilet! Stuffing $80k in her bra! It’s just awesome.
Comment by Terry Harris — November 12, 2010 @ 5:06 pm
Terry,
Thanks for registering and commenting. I lived in Bowie during my last assignment in DC. Where were you in MD? PG county is well-known for its corruption, but then again, so is most of Maryland. We all remember Spiro Agnew. (I also remember the Block in Baltimore, Dundalk, and Colgate Creek, but that’s from an earlier time.)
Comment by Bill — November 12, 2010 @ 5:14 pm
Bill: I’m relatively new here in the N. Idaho environs. A few years in Montgomery County, but mostly from Wire-era Baltimore city.
Anyway, great new update from the investigative journalists at WaPo: In hundreds, that $79k in the bra would be about 3 and 1/4 inches thick.
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/local-breaking-news/jack-johnson-case-on-stashing.html
Comment by Terry Harris — November 13, 2010 @ 12:53 pm
Terry,
Thanks for the info. The Wa-Po story conjured up an image of young reporters tripping over each other to be the one who researched how much space $79K in a bra would need.
Maybe there is hope for newspaper journalism after all.
Comment by Bill — November 13, 2010 @ 1:33 pm
I don’t see why the local reporters would be willing to do the research on how much money one can stuff into a bra; there is a probably a Federal grant for that.
Comment by Dan — November 13, 2010 @ 1:41 pm
Dan,
Nah, the federal grant money went bust.
Comment by Bill — November 13, 2010 @ 4:21 pm
Dan, the private sector got there first. Stuffing cheaters in bras made them…well, cheaters.
Comment by Gary Ingram — November 13, 2010 @ 6:44 pm
I cannot get over the people that do not, cannot, or will not see these people for what they are. SELF serving crooks. Not civil servants. Yes I am refering to the city council, mayor, NIC and LCDC boards among others. I dont see how they stay in office. Oh never mind. They have Dan English counting votes. I truly hope this will change or we will all be in the toilet soon. Win as a team —– loose as a team. But I guess first we must ACT as a team.
Comment by concerned citizen — November 14, 2010 @ 9:27 am
concerned citizen,
The case of Jack and Leslie Johnson is particularly interesting because it is being fairly completely reported by the news media (okay, the Washington Post). That’s why I put up another post just now. PG County began its “boom” in the 1960’s. Money began to flow in, and as is always the case, the predators followed.
What often happens with public officials is that they start out being honest and well-intended. Then they start cutting corners, disobeying or bending laws and ordinances. They rationalize that as being to the community’s benefit, because it brings in more money faster. The corner cutting is seen as well-intended to try and overcome “deficiencies” in “outdated” laws. At this point, the public officials are engaging in noble cause corruption (“The end as they define it is good and justifies whatever means are necessary to achieve it.”). A more concise version of that is that the officials become “outcome oriented.” The outcome they define as good justifies whatever unlawful behavior is necessary to achieve the desired outcome. Inevitably, some of these same officials start feeling they are “entitled” to take a little for themselves. How they take it is left up to their own imagination. Bribes and gratuities are the most direct. Less direct methods include making decisions which ultimately benefit them financially though less directly, perhaps by letting them steer value-enhancing projects to properties that immediately adjoin theirs, their partners’, their friends’, or relatives.
So what’s the harm if a few public officials make a little on the side? They want more; greed overtakes need. More important, the decisions they make eventually will be based in whole or in large part on what will benefit them and not necessarily what is best for the public.
Comment by Bill — November 14, 2010 @ 9:51 am
Bill
I know that you know it but, you just hit CdA in a nutshell. The problem that they are unwilling to see is speeding up progress is like a body on steroids. Yes it will grow bigger and stronger but then it most likely dies from cancer. I have seen this happen to many times in to many communities. I do not understand why they cannot see that a construction/building based economy is short lived since ther is only so much room. This whole country has got to get away from the building as an economic base back to manufacturing SOMETHING.
Comment by concerned citizen — November 14, 2010 @ 10:25 am
An economy built upon “tourism” and construction doesn’t last long. There are exceptions, but CC is correct: We need jobs here. Yet every candidate who promoted job growth lost the last two city council elections. Apparently jobs aren’t that much of a concern to the voter.
Then again, that may change now that incompetent County Clerk Dan English has been retired.
Comment by Dan — November 14, 2010 @ 1:56 pm