Another Arrested Politican

[Tully Mars]

ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) — A married pair of top officials in a Maryland county is accused of tampering with evidence after FBI agents said they recorded the husband telling his wife to flush a $100,000 check from a real estate developer down the toilet and to stuff almost $80,000 in cash in her underwear.

Prince George's County Executive Jack Johnson, whose second term expires next month, and his wife, Leslie, who was recently elected to the County Council, were charged with witness and evidence tampering and destruction, alteration and falsification of records in a federal investigation.

The charges grew out of a 5-year-old investigation into allegations of real estate developers in the county offering rewards to county officials in exchange for personal and business favors.

Story here

The story goes on to detail how he called his wife and told her to flush a 100K check down the toilet and how when they arrested her she had 80K in her underwear.

Of course they claim they're innocent. Looks like the evidence says otherwise.

I'm tried of hearing about politicians, regardless of party, who are scamming the system. Also tried of seeing them sent off to "Camp Fed" after they've been sentenced. Most of these guys have ripped off the public for 100's of K or even millions. I say send them off to a standard federal prison and let them serve real time.

Any thought on the types of sentences these folks get?

Anyone live where this guy worked? Know more about it/him?

Or just have thoughts regarding getting ripped off by the people we vote into office?

[dksuddeth]

ironically, and extremely humorous, is the fact that this particular county executive had a very callous response when asked about the mayor cheye calvo raid, where his house was raided by county SWAT, his two dogs shot and killed, and he and his mother in law were handcuffed and forced to lay next to the dogs pools of blood while SWAT searched and found nothing.

Johnson said he didn’t think an apology was necessary and said he has not spoken with Calvo about the incident.

“Well, I think in America that is the apology, when we’re cleared,” he said. “The authorities have to be able to follow evidence. Sometimes we realize that people are victimized. … At the end of the day, the investigation showed he was not involved. And that’s, you know, a pat on the back for everybody involved, I think.”

He expressed condolences for Calvo’s pets but said he understood the actions of law enforcement.

“I try putting myself in the situation of the sheriff who entered the house,” he said. “They had one set of information at the time. … The thing we have to do is make sure those incidents don’t happen again.”

so welcome to the real world soon to be convict Johnson.

[Willravel]

The evidence seems conclusive. I not only hope they spend time in prison, but that the real estate folks bribing them have the book thrown at them. People need to know the punishment for bribery is severe in order to deter such unethical behavior.

[Ananas]

What's funny is just how stupid they were to conduct all this activity over the phone.

This is nothing new for this county, which has a long history of shady dealings, and my bet is that Johnson won't be seeing the inside of a jail because he knows where everyone's skeletons are hidden.

[Redlemon]

We're still waiting for our mayor to get taken down by, again, bribes from real estate developers. The first developer was found guilty in trial, the second developer has just pled guilty. The noose is tightening. Our mayor is sounding more like a paranoid Nixon every day. I wish he'd just man up and resign, rather than calling his opponents "enemies" and repeating that everything is fine, over and over again.

[Wes Mantooth]

I actually think the sentence should be much steeper for a politician then anyone else. These people are directly responsible for eroding the average Americans faith in their own government, having ascended to somewhat of an extraordinary position in society they do have a responsibility to not only carry the weight of that office as representatives of the people and our government but to serve in that position with something that might resemble honor and integrity.

I say throw the book at him and any other politician out there who can't keep his greedy hands in his own pocket for the duration of his term, we need to start sending a message that we aren't going to tolerate crooked politicians abuse their power for personal gain.

[dksuddeth]

Originally Posted by Wes Mantooth

I actually think the sentence should be much steeper for a politician then anyone else. These people are directly responsible for eroding the average Americans faith in their own government, having ascended to somewhat of an extraordinary position in society they do have a responsibility to not only carry the weight of that office as representatives of the people and our government but to serve in that position with something that might resemble honor and integrity.

I say throw the book at him and any other politician out there who can't keep his greedy hands in his own pocket for the duration of his term, we need to start sending a message that we aren't going to tolerate crooked politicians abuse their power for personal gain.

this is an issue you should take up with the prosecutors and judges. they are always the ones accepting generous plea deals and issuing leniant sentences.