Jack B. Johnson facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jack B. Johnson
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| 6th Executive of Prince George's County | |
| In office December 2, 2002 – December 6, 2010 |
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| Preceded by | Wayne K. Curry |
| Succeeded by | Rushern Baker |
| Constituency | Prince George's County |
| State's Attorney of Prince George's County | |
| In office August 1994 – December 2002 |
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| Preceded by | Alexander Williams Jr. |
| Succeeded by | Glenn Ivey |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Jack Bruce Johnson
April 3, 1949 Charleston, South Carolina, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Leslie Johnson |
| Education | Benedict College (BBA) Howard University (JD) |
| Profession | Attorney |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  United States of America |
| Branch/service |  United States Army |
| Years of service | 1970–1976 |
Jack Bruce Johnson, born on April 3, 1949, is a former American politician and lawyer. He served as the top prosecutor, called the State's Attorney, for Prince George's County, Maryland. Later, from 2002 to 2010, he was the county executive, which is like the main leader of the county government. After his time in office, he faced serious accusations of wrongdoing related to his job. In 2011, he admitted he had done wrong things and served time in prison. He was released from federal custody in June 2017.
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Early Life and Education
Jack Johnson grew up on Johns Island, outside of Charleston, South Carolina. He was the fifth of ten children. His mother worked as a maid, and his father was a farmer who grew vegetables. Johnson attended a segregated high school. He said this experience greatly shaped his views as a young person.
In 1970, Johnson earned a bachelor's degree in business administration from Benedict College. This is an historically black school in Columbia, South Carolina. He also served in the United States Army from 1970 to 1976. After college, Johnson wanted a "nice job" where he could "wear a suit." This led him to work in accounting for a life insurance company in New York City.
Johnson soon returned to school. He graduated from Howard University School of Law in 1975 with a law degree (J.D.). He began his legal career with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). He worked there for nearly ten years, from 1975 to 1984, as an attorney. For a short time, from 1984 to 1987, Johnson was a professor of tax law at North Carolina Central University School of Law.
Political Career and Public Service
Serving as State's Attorney
In 1985, Johnson was asked to join politics. He became the campaign treasurer for Alexander Williams Jr.. Williams was an old friend from law school who wanted to become the State's Attorney for Prince George's County. Williams won the election, becoming the first Black person elected to a county-wide office there. After Williams won, he hired Johnson as Deputy State's Attorney. In this role, Johnson helped manage the office and its budget.
In 1994, President Bill Clinton appointed Williams to be a federal judge. This opened up the State's Attorney position. Johnson announced he would run for the seat, which surprised many of his co-workers. However, Johnson had built strong connections in the community. He won the Democratic primary election with many more votes than his closest opponent. He easily won the general election that November.
During his time as the top prosecutor in Prince George's County, Johnson focused on addressing issues of police brutality. He fired some deputy state's attorneys who did not want to prosecute officers. His frequent disagreements with the police department brought a lot of attention to his office. His supporters said he was simply seeking justice. However, his opponents, including the police union, questioned his actions. They accused him of trying to get political attention.
Leading Prince George's County
Johnson was elected county executive in 2002 and was re-elected in 2006. He served until his term ended on December 6, 2010.
An article in The Washington Post in November 2006 discussed Johnson's travel expenses. It noted that Johnson flew business class to Senegal in 2005 for a ceremony. The county paid $6,003 for his travel. Johnson was quoted saying, "I always fly business class or first class. I think the people of Prince George's County expect me to." He also stayed at expensive hotels like the Bellagio Hotel and The Wynn when traveling to Las Vegas for conventions.
Facing Accusations of Wrongdoing
In 2010, authorities began investigating whether Johnson and other county officials had asked for unfair payments or favors. This was related to a county agency's lease agreement.
On November 12, 2010, Jack Johnson and his wife, Leslie, were arrested by the FBI. This was part of a federal investigation into political wrongdoing in Prince George's County. They were accused of trying to hide evidence and influence witnesses. According to court documents, Johnson was accused of taking unfair payments in exchange for helping a developer get government money for housing projects. The Johnsons were charged with serious offenses. They were released, with Jack Johnson placed on home detention with electronic monitoring. Johnson remained in office until his term ended on December 6. Leslie Johnson became a county council member that same day.
On February 14, 2011, Johnson was formally accused of asking for over $200,000 in unfair payments. This was part of a plan that started in 2003. The accusations stated that the FBI had recorded conversations where Johnson and others discussed these payments.
On May 17, 2011, Johnson agreed to a deal. He admitted he had done wrong things, like asking for money unfairly and trying to hide evidence. After his hearing, federal prosecutors said that other people, including a former county housing director and developers, had also admitted guilt in the larger investigation. Leslie Johnson also admitted guilt to federal wrongdoing charges on June 30, 2011.
On December 6, 2011, Johnson was sentenced to seven years and three months in a federal prison in North Carolina. He was also fined $100,000.
Johnson continued his sentence after moving to the Cumberland Federal Correctional Institution. On December 15, 2016, Johnson was released to a federal halfway house near Baltimore. He served the rest of his sentence there. He was fully released from federal custody in June 2017. He served more than five years, which included a reduction for good behavior.
Personal Life
Jack Johnson lived with his wife, Leslie Johnson, and his three children in Mitchellville, Maryland. He is a member of the Omega Psi Phi fraternity.
