Major questions raised about Baker’s personal finances and possible campaign violations

Prince George’s County Executive Rushern Baker

The conservative blog Red Maryland has done a very detailed and stunning investigation on the finances of Prince George’s Executive Rushern Baker. If their report is proven to be true, Mr. Baker may have a lot of questions to answer.

Public documents show Prince George’s County Executive Rushern Baker did not answer county financial disclosure forms accurately.

And Mr. Baker, a lawyer in a very public state political fight to bring an $800 million casino to National Harbor, won’t explain why. He did not respond to multiple requests to answer questions about the 2010 and 2011 forms as well as inquiries about his campaign finance disclosures and prior work experience.

That Mr. Baker, whose predecessor Jack Johnson is serving time in federal prison for bribery, would not do everything in his power to clean up the image of county politics sullied by the continuing corruption scandals tied to Mr. Johnson is surprising. Most recently, news broke in May that the county spent hundreds of thousands to settle a lawsuit from a developer alleging a large bribery scheme involving county officials.

To read more about the article yourself and view their supporting documents go to their site at http://redmaryland.blogspot.com/

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People for Change Leader among minority calling for Johnson not to step down

People for Change Leader Sandy Pruitt who refused to call for Leslie Johnson to resign from office before October.

After School Board Member Donna Beck called their leader a black bitch they called for her to resign. In 2007 they blasted Jack Johnson for appointing Leslie Johnson to a grants board. They called out Melony Griffith, Jack Johnson, and Bishop C. Anthony Muse for supporting a new stadium to be built, and then called for the resignations of council members Sam Dean and Marilyn Bland for walking out of a meeting. However today just hours before Leslie Johnson announced her resignation from the Prince George’s County Council for federal corruption charges, the leader of People for Change Sandy Pruitt told the Washington Examiner she was not looking for a speedy resignation by the leader.

Sandy Pruitt and People for Change have built their name for “holding” elected officials to account however some of their critics say it has always been about the power they didn’t have and the power they wanted. In 20101 Pruitt’s group fielded a slate they called for change in which all of their non-incumbent candidates were defeated by huge numbers. “That tells you their anger and hate mixed with false truths doesn’t hold well in this county,” said a member of the county council. Today’s decision not to join the rest of the community in calling for Johnson’s resignation has shocked some supporters of the group but not so many of their critics. “This is People for Change, uneven, not balanced or totally honest. To call for Beck’s resignation for calling their leader a bitch but saying she’s not ready to see the county move forward without Leslie after she has admitted guilt makes them the joke I always thought they were,” the council member went on to say.

Councilwoman Leslie Johnson plead guilty last week to federal charges of evidence and witness tampering and faces upwards of a year behind bars. She submitted her letter of resignation today with an effective date of July 31st just before the rest of the council stripped her of her staff, county car, cell phone, and parking space.

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BREAKING NEWS- JOHNSON TO RESIGN, SO WHAT HAPPENS NEXT

Prince George’s County Councilwoman Leslie Johnson who plead guilty just last week to federal witness and evidence tampering charges has submitted a letter of resignation but post dated it to become effective on July 31st, right before the council recesses for the summer.

As we wrote about before this is what will happen next.

The County Charter empowers the council to order a special election if a vacancy occurs within the first three years of a council members term. Johnson has been in office for less than a year. Therefore should Johnson step down on July 31st the body (under county law 020-104) will have until August 7th (seven days or 10th if you include weekends) to adopt a resolution setting both a primary and general election for district 6 voters. The law also says the primary election cannot be earlier than 45 days after the vacancy (September 14th) or later than 60 days (September 29th). This means the primary will be settled before Johnson reports to jail. The general election under county law cannot be earlier than sixty days (September 29th) or later than 90 days (October 29th).

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FROM THE EDITORIAL BOARD- Johnson case is a test in leadership for the council

Council Chairwoman Ingrid Turner who has not called for Leslie Johnson to resign.

Regular readers of this blog will know it is not common for us to engage in much editorial or opinion writing. It is true we write stories that may carry our personal bias but we don’t write simply off of our opinion, until today.

When Jack and Leslie Johnson were first both arrested for charges of corruption last year many in Prince George’s, including a good number of us, felt the media was focusing too much attention on casting a much too wide net and not placing enough blame on those at the heart of the issue. Editorials last year blasted our elected officials for their near unified silence on the issue. Yes it is true the top priority for this government should be to create jobs, grow our economy, fully fund our schools, and keep the streets clean, but to put our heads down in the sand and ignore the elephant in the room is just too much.

Last December we didn’t join the calls for Leslie Johnson not to take office. Some of the members of our editorial board felt she shouldn’t be sworn in but we understood the law and even held out some higher belief in the constitution that she was innocent until proven (or she plead) guilty. She has done that and now is the time to step down and should she decide not to then her colleagues on the council should help her make that decision. Putting it simply it should be made clear that her continued service on the council would not be acceptable nor comfortable. This is a moment for leadership and that is just what Chairwoman Ingrid Turner and others can provide immediately.

Yesterday just hours after Johnson plead guilty Executive Rushern Baker said, “I believe the process of healing should not be delayed or deferred”. He was right. He also said, “It is in the best interest of Prince George’s County that Council Member Leslie Johnson resigns from the County Council.” He is right again. That is the same message her friend, sorority sister, and colleague Ms. Turner should send. It is also the message her other colleagues Ms. Toles, Mr. Patterson, Mrs. Harrison, Ms. Lehman who also have not called on her to resign should send. They can start as soon as their next meeting by passing a resolution of no-confidence and calling on Mrs. Johnson to resign. Yes it is a purely ceremonial but it will let Johnson know clearly where the legislative body of Prince George’s County stands. Ms. Turner can go even further. We know that Ms. Turner had been advised that the council has wide latitude to strip Johnson of other discretionary privileges such as a staff budget. The Washington Post is reporting Johnson has a number of events coming up such as a business card exchange. Turner and the council should strip the funding for those programs as well as any support for them.

The decision of if or when Leslie Johnson will resign before October 13^th is totally up to Johnson alone. The acts she committed her for Johnson to atone for alone. However allowing Johnson to remain an active member of the council for three more months taking in $28,000 in taxpayer dollars after being the reason the county will already be forced hundreds of thousands of dollars in a special election is about leadership. Ms. Turner your time to step up is now.

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BREAKING NEWS- JOHNSON TO REMAIN ON COUNCIL UNTIL OCTOBER SENTENCING

According to a source in the Maryland Attorney General’s Office Leslie Johnson will be allowed to remain a member of the Prince George’s County Council until her sentencing in October. Johnson has yet to announce any decisions on her tenure on the council however did say upon leaving the court she only wanted to continue to serve the citizens of Prince George’s. Maryland law only allows for an elected official to be removed from office if they are convicted or plead guilty to a felony and that doesn’t officially happen until she is sentenced in October the source said. Should Johnson decide to stay on the council until October it will push back any special election to fill her unexpired term.

The County Charter empowers the council to order a special election if a vacancy occurs within the first three years of a council members term. Johnson has been in office for less than a year. Therefore should Johnson stay on the council until October 13th the body (under county law 020-104) will have until October 20th (seven days) to adopt a resolution setting both a primary and general election for district 6 voters. The law also says the primary election cannot be earlier than 45 days after the vacancy (November 27th) or later than 60 days (December 12th). The general election under county law cannot be earlier than sixty days (December 12th) or later than 90 days (January 11th). What makes all of this so interesting is that at least a portion of the 6th council manic district will have school board election in April 3rd only 83 days later. Also questions are already being debated if the special election will be subject to the redrawn district lines the county redistricting commission is working on now and the council is expected to approve in the fall, possibly before Johnson steps down.

Johnson could possibly return to work at the County Administrative Building as early as next week where she can likely be assured of more pressure to step down by both her peers and members of the community.

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BREAKING NEWS- Councilwoman Johnson Pleads Guilty, Could Be Jailed for Upwards of a Year

Prince George’s County District 6 Councilwoman Leslie Johnson has just pleaded guilty to witness and evidence tampering in connection with a widespread pay to play scheme that also took down her husband, former county executive Jack Johnson. Under state law Johnson will now have to step down from her seat on the council resulting in a special election. Should Johnson not step down herself she could be removed. It is unclear when, or if, Johnson will official vacate her seat.

To read about the political horse race that will likely ensue to fill the seat read our story from earlier this morning at http://t.co/UCBdvFe.

Under the agreement reached between Johnson’s lawyers and the government she could spend between 12 to 18 months behind bars.

UPDATE- The federal judge ordered Johnson to reappear in court October 13th for sentencing. It is unclear if Johnson will be able to remain in office until that time.

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Pr. George’s PAC Whacks Wash. Post on Bringing Back “White” Political Boss to End Corruption

Trevor Otts, chair of the Fannie Lou Hamer Poltical Action Committee, released the following statement today whacking the Washington Post for an editorial on June 11th that called for a return to the white political bosses of the past in order to stem corruption in Prince George’s County.

An Open Letter in Response to Editorial entitled “To Restrain Corruption, Bring Back the Honest Political Boss”

“You’ve been had, you’ve been took,” a quote from Malcom X in 1964 that describes the actions of the White power structure in America with regard to the plight of the Black community.  The Washington Post editorial by Robert McCartney on June 11, 2011 entitled “To Restrain Corruption, Bring Back the Honest Political Boss,” seems to resurrect fantasies regarding how best to govern Black communities in 2011 in the state of Maryland.

Why do we need a White overseer to provide direction on how Black people should govern themselves or who should be in the position to govern?  Does McCartney think that Prince George’s County is a plantation and that productive legal and responsible government comes from stern, harsh treatment?  The concept of a “Political Boss” is tantamount to 21^st Century slavery and a hybrid of the South African apartheid system.

If you think I am using hyperbole or that I see racism in McCartney’s editorial, then I quote Malcom X further.  Malcom X states, “They got this thing called gerrymandering where the White power structure fixes it so that you’re voting for nobody.”  The reason this quote is relevant today is because I believe the White power structure in Maryland, through its slate system, does not support one person one vote and therefore when you vote, you are limited in your choices.

The Fannie Lou Hamer – Political Action Committee supports 141 single member house delegate districts independent of the 47 Senators in Maryland.  Under this structure, every citizen in Maryland will have one vote for one delegate and be free from the “political operation” of the State Senators who rule as “Political Bosses.”

There is fear that Maryland, now being 45% minority, that single member house of delegate districts will translate into 69 delegates representing communities of color.  Why is it okay in the state of Virginia to have single member state representative districts, but in Maryland, state house representatives need to be under the control of a “political operation,” which translates into the State Senatorial Slates.  These State Senatorial slates are similar to 21^st Century Jim Crow in promoting a White Agenda for the White communities in Maryland.  If you think I am being to harsh or you think I am being unfair, why did a Montgomery County Police Union official threaten a Black Women County Council member, by implying that Police officers with guns and picket signs are a dangerous combination (Washington Post, June 2, 2011 – Montgomery Council President Alleges Threatening Comments by Police Union Chief).  Is this action by the police union an example of “Political Bossism?”

Further, watch the racial battle that is going to go on in Montgomery County regarding the creation of three to four majority minority legislative districts.  Montgomery County is majority minority.  The eight senators in Montgomery County are White.  Will McCartney’s next criticism of a Black community be Montgomery County because they seek one person one vote and greater minority representation?  Will McCartney suggest that Montgomery County will travel down the same road that Prince George’s County did with a fair and responsive political system that reflects the majority minority community in Montgomery County?

Mr. McCartney, Are you part of the problem or are you part of the solution with regards to Black and Brown Political empowerment in Prince George’s and Montgomery County?  I close again by quoting Malcom X, “We’re being hood winked, we’re being bamboozled, and we’re asked to be subservient to a White Political structure that does not have our communities’ interest and needs as their primary objective.”

Trevor Otts, Chair

Fannie Lou Hamer – Political Action Committee

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