Will Admitted Conspirator Leslie Johnson Resign From Prince George's County Council?
Prince George's County Councilwoman Leslie Johnson may appear at County Council after pleading guilty in criminal case.
Less than a week after pleading guilty to conspiracy charges in a federal court, Leslie E. Johnson is due to appear Tuesday in her capacity as a Prince George's County Council member, as calls for her resignation increase.
Last week's council meeting was postponed due to a Maryland Municipal League conference in Ocean City. But council members, presumably including Johnson, are scheduled to return today with a full agenda that includes confirmation votes for several county agency heads.
An executive session is scheduled for Tuesday, but it's not known what will be discussed.
According to Maryland election law, Johnson will not be qualified to hold office once her sentence commences. Johnson is scheduled to be sentenced at 9:30 a.m. on Oct. 13. Her plea agreement calls for a 12 to 18-month prison sentence and a forfeiture of $79,600 in cash she tried to hide.
Johnson did not yet say if she will step down immediately.
County Executive Rushern L. Baker and fellow council members have called for her resignation so a special election can be held to fill her seat.
"It is my opinion that if Ms. Johnson resigned, the Prince George’s County Council’s summer recess could be utilized to prepare for the inevitable special election thus allowing the residents of the 6th District more immediate representation while minimizing the time that the seat would remain vacant," Baker said in a news release.
Council Chairwoman Ingrid Turner (D) of Bowie said that Johnson's time to resign is looming.
“Johnson has pleaded guilty to a felony. After she has commenced her sentence, she will no longer be a qualified voter under Maryland election law and must then forfeit her office.”
Council members agreed it is time for Johnson to resign.
Mel Franklin (D-Dist. 9) of Upper Marlboro said in a statement to The Gazette that he wants Johnson to resign “rather than prolong the inevitable outcome to this tragic situation.”
Tom Dernoga, former council chairman, wrote in an e-mail to The Gazette that Johnson’s guilty plea was inevitable.
“If Ms. Johnson wants to move on beyond her ‘mistake’, she must step down immediately,” Dernoga wrote. “No public benefit, only personal benefit, can derive from Ms. Johnson holding on to the council seat. Failure to do so would demonstrate lack of remorse, which the judge should consider at sentencing.”
Johnson had her voting privileges for council subcommitees stripped when she entered office due to the charges against her. District 6 residents complained that they unfairly suffered from not being fully represented on the county council.
The district includes Capitol Heights, District Heights, Forestville, Kettering, Largo, Mitchellville, South Bowie and Upper Marlboro.
Lake Arbor resident Bill Fuller, 62, told The Gazette he wants Johnson to vacate her seat.
“It does taint her credibility and reputation, and being a public servant I think one needs to be way above those kinds of flaws and problems in their life," he said.
Johnson was formally charged with conspiracy in March, after a federal wiretap caught her destroying a $100,000 check from a developer last fall. She was also caught trying to stuff more than $79,000 in her bra and underwear as federal agents arrived at her home.
Her husband, former County Executive Jack Johnson, pleaded guilty last month to extortion and bribery charges related to the case.
Karen Lubieniecki
6:31 am on Tuesday, July 5, 2011
Former Councilman Tom Dernoga said it all:
“If Ms. Johnson wants to move on beyond her ‘mistake’, she must step down immediately,” Dernoga wrote. “No public benefit, only personal benefit, can derive from Ms. Johnson holding on to the council seat. Failure to do so would demonstrate lack of remorse, which the judge should consider at sentencing." More disturbing is that officials such as Council Chair Turner were there demanding that she resign. That says something about their ethics, too. And not in a good way.
Dudeindacorner
6:35 am on Tuesday, July 5, 2011
Her and her husband are liars and thieves and should be dealt with as such..
THROW HER THIEVING ASS OFF THAT COUNCIL. can you say ? "JAILTIME"?
Albert Van Thournout
7:12 am on Tuesday, July 5, 2011
She is SLEAZE big time and should have resigned long ago. Anyone on the Council who has been less than forthright in calling for her to leave is coating themselves with a smelly and unnameable substance.
@ImEstoftheRiver
7:42 am on Tuesday, July 5, 2011
Leslie Johnson says she committed a mistake. She plead guilty to a felony. But I do not believe it unfair I in my own mind believe that she knew exactly what her husband did and was a willing participant in his crimes. Yes she plead guilty to a single felony. But only the truly nieve would believe that that is where it began and ended.
This is a good time for the residents of Prince Georges County to make it clear that they want corruption and bad government to stop. It would be good if an attorney experienced in the sentencing guidelines could write in so we can understand how they work and if there is any influence the Judge’s decision.
And what exactly did Ingrid Turner (D) of Bowie said that Johnson's time to resign is looming. (Laural Patch June 30, 2011) mean when she said looming. Johnson should have resigned immediately after she was arrested. She knew she was guilty. As a County, we must begin holding our leaders responsible for what they do and what they do not do. We must make Turner understand that the days of old are no more.
@Imestoftheriver
Carpetbagger
7:49 am on Tuesday, July 5, 2011
Prince Georges' residents have a chance to prove they are not the apathetic,corrupt county they say is a media creation. THEY SHOULD BLOCK HER ENTRANCE TO HER OFFICE AS WELL AS THAT OF ANY SILENT CONCIL MEMBER. FLASH MOB TIME.
GLO
12:35 pm on Tuesday, July 5, 2011
Wow, the money grubbing continues. Leslie Johnson isn't about to give up a penny of the over $96,000 salary of a job she ran for in order to steal and extort even more money. It will be interesting to see how many of the county government officials who support her were actually participants in the Johnson's extortion scheme when the federal case plays out. She knows there are no legal provisions to throw a common thief out on the street, so she continues to thumb her nose at the decent people of Prince Georges County. It's past time to let the new administration win back the trust of the citizens, to re-earn the respect of the region, and for the criminals who took advantage of us to be jailed,
1blessedmale
2:24 pm on Tuesday, July 5, 2011
Crime YES, due to a man-made law but she did right to stand by her husband and I think she just took it TOO far in doing so!
Jo
5:58 pm on Thursday, November 17, 2011
I think it is a shame they let Leslie Johnson be the key note speaker at the Wise High School 2011 graduation. She is a criminal!!!