johnson. .. >> guest: and they said that in a full box, you have 800 pages, so you just sit there. you know, when i was a newspaper reporter, just starting out, i was 20, and i had this editor who told me, "turn every page, never assume anything." and, with his early life at least, it was physically possible to look at every piece of paper. c-span: how much new information is it? i know it's a tough question to answer, but is there a lot of new information in these books? this is your second book? >> guest: well, i think it's pretty largely new information because lyndon johnson, you know, when i started this, there were already 17 biographies of lyndon johnson, and i felt that his youth and his early years, i would hardly have to do any work on, because i thought they had been covered over and over again, but when i went to texas, i started finding out that most of the stories that we knew about him, the anecdotes that we knew about him, were really a legend that he had, in effect, created ab

the sentencing of jack johnson. it was standing room only where johnson learned his fate after pleading guilty to extortion and evidence tampering charges earlier this year. scott broom is standing by live. he is outside the courthouse with details. scott. >> reporter: jc, this is happening right now. the judge is addressing the courtroom. so we're expecting this final sentence at any moment. jack johnson came to court facing up to 14 years. he has just finished addressing the court asking for forgiveness and mercy telling the judge "if my wild est dreams i could not imagine being in a place like this. i worked so hard for the people of prince george's county and i achieved so much. but he went on the to say i am haunted by this. i beg your mercy and i am a very ill man. "now, as i said, he's facing 14 years coming in. there was a long hearing about jack johnson's health. he is now claiming that he has parkinson's disease and that a long sentence, a 14-year sentence would be "a death sentence" according to johnson's

>> leslie johnson was involved in a major corruption case. scott broom has been following the story. he joins us from the courthouse in greenbelt, maryland. scott? >> reporter: of course, that corruption case is all about johnson's interaction with her husband. now convicted jack johnson in this bribery scheme here in the county. johnson came to the courthouse facing 12 to 18 months in federal prison and a $30,000 fine according to the federal sentencing guidelines. today, the prosecutors say she should definitely be punished on the high end of that. johnson, of course, is the one caught on tape flushing $100,000 bribe check down the toilet and caught with $80,000 stuffed in her underwear. the prosecutor david copperwhite saying "this was not a one-time event. this was no lapse in judgment. this was not a slip." copperwhite went on to say this is planned corruption, the plan was to put leslie johnson on the council and continue business as usual. of course, on the other side, johnson's defense lawyer, shawn wright is making her argument insid

johnson said i'm haunted from this.race i'm sorry and asked the people of prince george's county to for give me

johnson denied she was part of husband jack johnson's bribery schemes. that doesn't compute with me, judge peter said, he responded, you are not an innocent spouse. >> put it in your panties. >> the phone call cannot be erased from prince georges county's collective memory. >> stuff it in your panties. >>> and her husband, jack, sentenced monday to seven years and three months in federal prison. >>> the governing body of the maryland state university system voted down a proposal to merge the university of maryland flagship campus in college park with its campus in baltimore. instead of a merger, the governing board voted to encourage greater collaboration between the two campuses. college park has more than 37,000 under grads and grad students. however, it has no medical or law school. the baltimore campus is home to seven professional and grad schools. supporters of a merger said it would help the university system get more research dollars. a merger would cost a lot of money. hey top, what does it look like outside? getting pretty cold. >> it is gettin

three people who prosecutors say worked closely with johnson in the spirs, james johnson, no relation, dr. bake and patrick ricker all face sentencing income year. we should point out that jack johnson was not taken into custody after the hearing and given until february 3rd to turn himself in, laura. >> i see. you were in the crime, obviously. what -- did you believe that he is as sick as he's saying he is? i haven't seen him walking with a cane look he was today, and he did look success going in. >> as reporters, you know, we get to see the public officials up close and personal often, and i have seen jack johnson, interview him many, many times over the years from back when he was the state's attorney. today his appearance was shocking, no question about it. one point that we did not bring up in the story here is that even though the prosecutors took issue with this diagnosis of parkinson's. >> uh-huh. >> the prosecutor's also said that there was -- there were comments made in the medical records that johnson had been dripping heavily and insiniated perhaps some of the tremors he c

prosecutors say johnson was grooming his wife leslie johnson to take over the pay to play schemes once he was out of office and she was serving as county council member. johnson reluctantly resigned from the council seat. she will face charges for her husband's schemes, including charges of tampering with evidence. agents found johnson trying to flush a $100,000 check and then stuffed thousands of dollars in cash in her undergarments. she's due in court this friday. today jack johnson is due in federal court in greenbelt at 9:30 a.m. i'm tracee wilkins live this morning in upper marlboro. joe, back to you in the studio. >> thanks very much, tracee. we'll be in the courtroom for johnson's sentencing. as soon as it happens, we'll let you know on nbc 4 and on our website, nbcwashington.com. >>> the d.c. council met behind closed doors to discuss the fbi and irs probe of harry thomas jr. council chair kwame brown was the only member to speak publicly after the meeting. he said that some members want thomas to step down while others want the investigation to play out. brown says he will mee

they found 80,000 in johnson's underwear. leslie johnson faces a possible 18 months in jail. >> reporter: jackson sun entered the courtroom. he was solemn, and walking with the cane. before the whole sentencing began, he did at one point turn around and take a look at some of his supporters, and he waved and gave a small smile. the courtroom is packed. they had to open an overflow room in a different part of the courthouse to accommodate the spectators here. as i mentioned earlier, this could take a while. we are expecting a few character witnesses, and the prosecutors are going to have to have their say before the judge hands down the sentence. >>> meanwhile, jackson's wife, leslie johnson, will be sentenced this week for her role in the corruption case. she pleaded guilty to destroying evidence. she faces up to 18 months in prison. >> and the council is picking a new chairman today. and council members are expected to talk about today's sentencing after the meeting has adjourned. look for the latest throughout this newscast

johnson will be sentenced -- that's jack johnson will be sentenced today at 9:30 a.m. at the federal courthouse in greenbelt. his wife is expected to be sentenced again this friday. tracee wilkins live this morning in upper marlboro outside the johnson home. back to you all in the studio. >> tracee, thanks very much. of course we will be in the courtroom for johnson's sentence. as soon as it happens, we'll let you know right here on nbc 4 and on our website, nbcwashington.com. >>> we have breaking news in afghanistan. there has been -- there have been three deadly attacks overnight. a suicide bomber attacked a shia shrine in kabul. at least 14 people have died and 150 have been wounded. hundreds of people had gathered for a festival. then we learn a bicycle bomb went off followed by a motorcycle bomb in kandahar. >>> investigators are trying to figure out what sparked a house fire at a federal judge's home. u.s. district judge liam o'grady and his family were not injured. when they arrived at the house on massachusetts avenue in mclean, flames were coming from a second

baker was elected to replace johnson who could not run gun. the county struggled in the initial months following the arrests but has made progress in moving the county away from a culture of corruption where federal agents say you had to pay to play in the political game. >> people doubted prince george's county could survive this and make people interested in coming here again. if you look at this year and what has happened, people are excited about the county. >> we should say that gentleman jack johnson served out his entire term. he did not resign from office. we'll hear from residents tonight at 6:00. reporting live, darcy spencer, news4. back to you. >> thanks so much. >>> stay with news4 and www.nbcwashington.com for continuing coverage of jack johnson's sentencing today. >>> we had a nasty little day out there. it was warm and balmy but rainy and messy. >> a case of the gloomies. >> talk about nasty wait until you see what we have in store for tomorrow. this is just really round one of the rain. we have seen a tenth to a quarter inch o

johnson is not totally responsible for this but johnson was president and in our system of government the president is symbolic leader. when the president doesn't lead it is a problem. we don't look to congress or the supreme court for leadership. you look to the person in the white house. it was tremendously important that he decided to throw the weight of his leadership power and capacity against the forces of reaction, people who did not want to transform american society and put us hundred years behind. so that is the story of johnson and his role in this particular era. >> thank you very much. [applause] >> i would like to open the floor for questions. please wait until the microphone is given to you and meanwhile, while the microphone is going to this individual here i am going to oppose the first question using the moderator's prerogative. my question is henry raymond and andrew johnson were both rather close to abraham lincoln, indicated support for lincoln and lincoln's policies but in the aftermath of lincoln's death they seemed to be trey his policy and vision. why? >> just

john. >> leslie johnson and jack johnson were the ultimate power couple. he was the county executor for eight years. and as his term expired, leslie johnson was elected to the county council. both ultimately pleaded guilty in connection with a federal corruption case. leslie johnson asked for probation rather than prison. during the fbi raid in november of 2010 when leslie johnson stuffed nearly $80,000 in her underwear, she was a panicked wife merely trying to protect her husband. in front of the judge today, leslie johnson said quote, i did not know anything about the criminal conduct that my husband engaged in. johnson's attorney referred to the huge pile of cash in the basement as household emergency money. johnson asked for probation. a prosecutor called that explanation crazy. raising the issue of the huge pile of cash while fbi agents were banging at their front door. the judge agreed with the prosecution handing leslie johnson a 12 month prison sentence. a $15,000 fine and a forfeitture of the money. many of them think the embarrassment of the whol

johnson had dropped to 64. so after all that month of a barrage of negative spots against goldwater, it was actually johnson's numbers that went down, not goldwater's. as best i can tell, there was no specific polling about the spot. you might -- more than likely you would do that today. in fact, probably any campaign before airing something that unusual and shocking would probably have convened a number of focus groups and done a lot of research. the johnson people and ddb, the ad firm, didn't appear to know what the reaction would be. and so there was quite a bit of reaction, but it was sort of all anecdotal. there were a lot of phone calls to the white house. mostly it was people that were short of shocked, aghast at this little girl picking daisies consumed by a nuclear blast. but there were, and then there were the predictable cries of outrage from the republican party and the goldwater campaign about it, but it's hard to say what the public's response was to it because as best i can tell, and i could not

: clarence payne is another neighbor of the johnsons. he hasn't seen them around for days. >> when you're in a position like that, sometimes it can be tempting, you know, the money. i mean we're all human. >> reporter: the prosecution also released audiotapes. they want to convince the court to throw the book at jack and leslie johnson because they say his wife knew exactly what was going on. here's a portion of the fbi wiretap on their phones the day agents showed up at their house. >> what do you want me to do with this money? they are banging. what do you want me to do? >> put it in europeans and walk out of the house. -- europeans and walk out of the house. >> jack -- your panties and walk out of house. >> jack johnson is sentenced at 9:00 in the morning and leslie johnson is sentenced three days later and could get up to 18 months. >> one of the video clips jack johnson is seen taking money for prince george's hospital center business. >> prosecutors believe jack johnson was making a deal with the hospital official unnamed. i'll hel

denied she was part of jack johnson's bribery schemes. that doesn't pyeatt with me, you are not an innocent spouse. johnson was elect to the prince georges count thank you council -- county council, just as her husband jack was term limited out. he is overheard on monitored phone calls telling one investor leslie would continue to take care of you. the prosecutor said there was no lapse in judgment, there was not a slip. after sentencing johnson fled out a back door leaving stunned supporters to continue to defend her. >> i don't think she probably knew all along like they are saying. but the i want famous phone call cannot be erase from prince georges county. leslie johnson is now set to report to federal prison february 9th. six days after her husband, jack, does the same. scott broom, 9news now. >>> johnson will serve time in the same prison where martha stewart did as well. >>> coming up tonight at 7:00. we talk with the state's attorney who worked under jack johnson. hear what glenn ivy has to say and how come he didn't catch jack. >

johnson apologized in court, but even close friends say what johnson did was inexcusable and a setback for the county. >> the economic aspect of it, i think, limited development, scared away legitimate developers who were interested in coming and building and helping with growth in prince george's county. >> jack johnson's wife leslie johnson will be sentenced friday for her role in the corruption case. the former prince george's county council member pled guilty to destroying evidence. jack johnson had her flush a developer's $100,000 check down the toilet and stuff nearly $80,000 cash in her underwear. >>> we're learning more people connected to johnson's corruption case. the head of the prince george's county hospital system has to step down while investigators look into his involvement. this morning "the washington post" is reporting that kenneth glover took a leave of absence as ceo of dimensions health care system. prosecutors say that johnson tried to line up a consulting job connected to the hospital for himself. in exchange, johnson would help an unnamed hospital official get

former priice george's county executive jack johnson is johnson was sentenccd to morr than 7 years behinn bars for taking hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes from developers while in office.he investigation. throuuhout thh case... prrsecuuorr have releasee evidence against &pjohnson. undercover video johnson's hand.in the tape... johnnon even brags that he has not been caught ttking bribes... during 8 yearssas &pcounty executive.other tapes reveal what he told his wife to do with briie money hat was still in their ouse... whee police came crrshing in. 3&"jack johnson: "put it in you braaand walk out or omething with itt i don't know what to do with it."leslie johnson: "do you hear them banging?" jack johnson: "tearrup the check and um, tear it up, just get rid of it."leslie johnson: that's why i'm telling you.. - "put it in your panties, i meannall this cash jack, stuff it n yyur 33panties 3anties poonssn's wife eslie is aaso scheduled for sentencing later this week. if you want to hear alllof the fbi's evidenceeagainss the foxbaltimore dot com and click on our rrw news link. as wi

eslie johnson: "they are aying fbi jack." jack johnson: "yeah, i know. that'sswhy i'm telling you.t ii in youu panties, i mean all this cash jack, stuff it in yyur panties pantiesjohnson'' wiff 3 leslie is also scheduled for 3 3 high school &pathletes are now expected tt maintain a -point-0 grade point averaae tt be eligible sports.tte state school board voted this morninn in favor of making he recommendation to lawmakers. lawmakers.athletes will now have to maintain a cumulative 2.00throughoutthighhschool.. just in the grading period beeore and during the time they play on a team. team..i's already a requirementtin 16 school systems. -3 systems.the staadard is only a & recommeeddtion ... not a requiremeet, but some worry it will increase the dropout ate. & 3 phht brings uu to our uestion of the day. shoull high school ptudent athletes be required - tt maintaii a "c" average ii &p3 gg to fox-baltimorr dot com and teel s what you think. you can aaso sound off through facebook. send us a tweet.. -3 at foxbaltimore. and you can text your answer to 45203. entee fox45a for yes.. or 3 3

johnson -- jack johnson will be back in court. prexy and faces up to 14 years in prison if the judge gives them the maximum penalty today. many in print to a discount if believe that he will get the maximum because they're so whatever events against dumping. -- evidence against him. there were hours of wiretaps and hidden cameras that caught jack johnson in the corruption scheme. there was a video where he was in taking $59,000 in cash. federal prosecutors have presented a 75 page document outlining the scope of the corruption. he's accused of taking tens of thousands of dollars in bribe money in exchange for county business. the johnson pleaded guilty in may to extortion and evidence tampering related to the case. many people around here believe he will get the maximum. sentencing begins around 9:30 this morning. johnson is expected to be here. we don't know whether or not he will be a free man after that. many people to think that he will be going to jail for quite some time. reporting from greenbelt, jummy olabanji, abc 7 news.

jack johnson is headed behind bars. we have been monitoring the story from the courthouse and we have the latest on the sentencing. >> we've just found out that the judge has sentenced jack johnson to seven years behind bars. this is what the prosecution had recommended. the judge said too jack johnson after he really played for mercy, he said, you were not elected to line your pockets. -- the judge said to jack johnson after he really plead for mercy. he will spend seven years in jail. he will have to pay a $300,000 fine. we do know that he will have to report for prison in january. he will get to spend the rest of the month here in prince george's county but then he will head to federal prison. his defense lawyer had asked a judge to be more lenient, asking that the lesson the charges because they say that he suffers from parkinson's disease or symptoms like parkinson's disease and they argued it would be a death sentence to send him to prison. the judge has rejected that and he agreed with the prosecution. jack johns

johnson entered the courthouse using a cane yesterday. his attorneys say the former prince george's county executive now has parkinson's disease, and he asked for leniency. instead the judge went with the prosecutor's recommendations and sentenced him to more than seven years in prison. prosecutors had reduced their original request for a maximum of 14 years because they say johnson has cooperated with the investigation. johnson pled guilty in may of accepting bribes of up to $1 million. he apologized in court, saying his actions have haunted him and ruined his reputation. others in the county call what he did unforgivable. >> i think he really does feel terrible about what's happened and what he's done. at the same time, i know that justice had to be done. >> in addition to the seven-year prison sentence, the judge ordered johnson to pay $100,000 fine and forfeit a $78,000 antique mercedes benz. johnson asked to be sent to the federal prison in buckner, north carolina. that's the same prison where bernard madoff is serving 80 years for h

. >> corporate george's county executive jack johnson is going to federal prison. a judge sentenced johnson to more than seven years for accepting millions of dollars in bribes from developers. barry simms is live in the studio with details. >> jack johnson tried to get home confinement, but a judge thought the prince george's county executive who served from 2002-2010 deserved a much stronger sentence. >> i have advised mr. johnson since there are some pending issue still for sentencing that have not been worked out, not to make any statement at this time. >> following his lawyer's statement, 62-year-old jack johnson left federal court without comment. during his sentencing, the former prince george's county executive focused on his political court. critics focused on his political career. he said i have lost everything, my reputation, all the things i have worked for. >> the judge told him he was not allowed to line his pockets or corrupt the system. prosecutors did not dismiss his good deeds. >> jack johnson could have been a role model for integrity. instead, h

husband jack johnson was sentenced this week to more than seven years in jail. he was convicted of taking $1.6 million in bribes from developers in a pay to play extortion scheme. a judge ordered him to pay a $100,000 fine. defense attorneys asked for leniency claiming he suffered from parkinson's disease. >>> virginia state police are investigating a trooper-involved shooting along 95 in caroline county. the trooper was injured last night when he was responding to a report of a pedestrian on the highway. after placing that pedestrian in the patrol car there was a struggle and both were wounded. the trooper is in the hospital with serious non-life- threatening injuries. the other man's injuries are said to be life-threatening. >>> police have released this surveillance video on an attempted armed robbery at a d.c. convenience store. it took place at the fairfax liquors on pennsylvania avenue in southeast d.c. on december 1. police are asking for your help to help identify the suspect in the video. anyone with information is asked to call police. >>> more track w

johnson had been doing at -- knowledge about what mr. johnson had been doing at least with respect to the cash in the house at the time of the fbi raid. i think the sentence was probably based more on the view by the judge that she knew as opposed to not knowing. >> let me get your reaction, also to, jack johnson's sentence. i know you know the johnsons very well, seven years, three months. >> i think the interesting point out of that was he was facing 11 to 14 and he got the reduction based on two things, acceptance of responsibility, but most significantly, ongoing cooperation with the u.s. attorney and federal investigators. so that might mean there are other shoes that will drop out there soon. >>> now to the fox 5 storm force, a live look outside. temperatures are falling. we're in for a cold start to the weekend. fox 5's gary mcgrady tracking the tumble from the weather center. >> it's interesting because some are falling, but some temperatures have come up a little bit in the last couple hours simply because we have a little cover

but the federal judge sentenced johnson to seven of 14 years behind bars. >> jack johnson could have been a role model for integrity instead he chose to be a poster child for corruption. >> reporter: he pled guilty in may to shaking down developers and business owners for up to a million dollars in office. the fbi recorded one bribe in action. >> i know there are other people who wanted him to get the full 14. there is a sense of anger throughout in the county. people who felt betrayed by the whole thing. >> reporter: glenn ivy ran for office on the ticket with johnson in 2006 and considered him a friend. they spoke in church a month ago. >> i think he feels terrible about what happened and what he's done. at the same time i know that you know, justice had to be done. you know, he needed a -- i think the community needed this county of sentence. >> reporter: the 62-year-old johnson apologized in court today. but ivy said what he did is inexcusable and a damaging setback for the county. >> the economic aspect of it limited development and scared away legitimate developers who were int

that is how long jack johnson faces to spend behind bars.lieve he will get a harsh sentence because the evidence against him is so damning. >> i am trying to line up some stuff for myself. >> they have hours of wiretaps hidden cameras that caught johnson in the alleged corruption scheme. even when did your where you see him taking $15,000 in money. prosecutors presented a 75-page document outlining the scope of the former county executives corruption. he is accused of taking tens of thousands of dollars in exchange for county business. johnson pled guilty back in may to charges of extortion related to this case. for example, as the county hospital was facing closure, he was accused of planning his own retirement by lining up a consulting contracts worth hundreds of thousands of dollars. this court case begins this morning at 9:30. we are expecting that johnson will be here. he is not in jail right now. we expect him to walk through these doors by himself. there is no word on whether he will be able to walk out of free men. he pled guilty and

this judge who sentenced jack johnson will be the same judge who will be presiding over leslie johnson's sentencing. he's a fair judge and he usually goes by the book when it comes to sentencing. he did give some leniency off for jack johnson's cooperation. we'll see if he gives the same kind of leniency for leslie johnson. her sentencing is at 9:30 this morning in federal court in greenbelt. back to you, andrea. >> surae chinn reporting live from greenbelt, maryland this morning. >> in just a few hours, democrats in virginia head to court. there is a hearing to decide which party will have control of the state senate. right now, the parties are evenly split 20/20. lieutenant-governor bill bolling has the tie breaking vote and he, of course, is a republican. democrats say he should not have a say in things like committees and organizations. when the senate was evenly split in the 1990s, the parties reached a power-sharing agreement. >>> at a time when ridership on mass transit is up nationwide, it is actually going down on metro. so far this year, metro ridership is down 1/4 of 1%. only

leslie johnson starts in march. >> you were there, what was leslie johnson's demeanor? >> she was very serious, very deliberate when she read from a prepared statement when talking to the judge. she herself was a 14 year administrative law judge in the district of columbia. when she first came in the courtroom, she looked straight ahead, didn't look at anyone. as she sat down and saw dozens of supporters in the courtroom, she smiled and nodded to a few people. i think she was truly grateful for the people who showed up for her. >> john hanrahan tonight. >>> now that the virginia tech shooting. we just learned who the virginia tech gunman was involved in yesterday's shooting. he is 22-year-old ross ashley of spotsylvania, virginia. ross spent the day on the virginia tech campus. joins us live from blacksburg. i know we just got the name. you haven't been able to do digging, but what's the mood on campus and any new details? >> well, they are trying to learn what the motive was. we have a name now, hopefully we'll learn more. that's what people are asking over and over. t

leslie johnson was arrested along with her husband, former county executive, jack johnson, weeks before she was to take a seat on the council. she took the oath and began to serve on the council. as the evidence against her and her husband mounted, leslie johnson pleaded guilty and resigned from the council. a taped telephone conversation between leslie johnson and her husband as fbi agents pounded on the door of her home. >> yeah, flush that. >> reporter: in the conversation, leslie johnson asked what she should do about the cash? they are are banging -- >> put it in your panties and walk out of the house. >> when searched by the fbi, leslie johnson was found to have nearly $80,000 stuffed in her bra. >> according to prosecutors but for that wire tap, the fbi may have never known about the involvement of leslie johnson in the scandal. it will be the turn of the defense attorney's, and they are expected to argue for a lesser sentence. all of this is left up to the judge. leslie johnson should know her fate here in about an hour or two. >> thank you, megan. >>> on tuesday, former executi

that was lyndon johnson.ldwater part of that speech was written by a number of people. >> it was written by bill moyers. he wrote that. there was a call and response kind of thing that caught on. that was an early one. >> call and response? >> "not senator goldwater." and then the crowd respond. >> senator humphrey had ambitions for the presidency for quite a while. he toyed with it in 1952 and made a real bid in 1960. harry was finally at the convention accepting the vice- presidential nomination. you can see how excited he was about the moment. he earned the nickname "the happy warrior." he loved politics, right? >> he loved politics. he was joyful about politics. he believed it was a way to better the country, to change the country. it was an innocent way. he believed in the american people. he really believed in our system. that was the way for him to change the country. >> another clip, and this was later on in 1974 when hubert humphrey made audiotapes. thosegoing to use some of throughout the program. h

johnson's attorneys played up his age and his health as they begged for leniency today. johnson now walking with a cane they say because he is showing signs of parkinson's disease. prosecutors said it was alcoholism. the judge rejected the medical claim calling johnson's crimes of accepting bribes severe, saying quote, you were elected to do good, not line your pockets. johnson was caught on tape doing just that, accepting a cash bribe in this november 2010 meeting. >> i don't know who they are. >> and threne was the raid on his house. council member elect at the time trying to stash cash with feds at the door. >> what do you want me to do? >> put it in your panties and walk out of the house. >> i think today justice was served. >> hundreds turned out for the sentencing, many of them johnson supporters. >> it is disgusting what generally happens to african americans versus nonafrican americans. >> you think he was treated harshly? >> court johnson apologized, quote, in my wildest dreams i could not imagine being in a place like this, he said. i worked hard for the people

baker was elected to replace johnson. baker says that the county struggled in the initial months following the arrests but has made progress moving the county away from a culture of corruption where you had to pay to play in johnson's political game. >> people doubted whether prince george's county would survive this, whether in fact we could make people interested in coming to prince george's county again. if you look at this year, people are excited about the county. >> reporter: the county leaders are ready to put this chapter behind them. but the u.s. attorney indicated during that press conference that the corruption investigation continues here in prince george's. reporting live, darcy spencer, news4. back to you. >> thank you. >>> there is news tonight that the head of the federal aviation administration has resigned. he was arrested for drunk driving over the weekend. randy babbitt pulled over on saturday night after drive drooing the wrong way in fairfax. he submitted his resignation to the transportation secreta

-- asking johnson first and johnson rest to decide that he had to go a professor that time to be in emergency is lucifer. he had to cancel. the foundation embodies said yes. bennett johnson shows somebody named walter ross tell who was a convinced advocate of what there were doing in vietnam to fight the north vietnamese communists. he was also reassuring to the president's in terms of your on the right track. criticized. criticized, too. being tough and good. and so none of johnson's other advisers recommended food jobs were appointed to. in fact, some people said though. johnson said, i have my intellectual. but he was closer to johnson than bundy ever was, but he was about as close -- trusted by the citizenry. he did not do the job was well. reports it out, you have to be tested by the people. the people have to believe the you're going to bring issues straight to the president's, and even if you're viewed as of agree with the vessel security visors, he should be able to presented fairly to the presence. people did not quite trust him yet. >> host: professor, henry kissinger, col

johnson will not be statement at this time. >> and jack johnson in march courtroom,ral to seven years behind bars. where there is smoke, there is fire. >> just prayed that it will teach him a lesson about the grade. >> prosecutors uncovered a corruption under his leadership. a million dollars by bribing business owners and developers in an extortion scheme. >> jack johnson could have been for integrity. instead, he chose to be a poster corruption. >> his efforts to avoid capture are part of record. the infamous taped conversation wife, with his encouraging her to conceal nearly $80,000 in cash before fbi agents arrived at his home. attorney pleaded for leniency, claiming he suffers from parkinson's disease and depression. the judge did not take johnson's account.elped into >> i did not see that it would be an issue for anybody else. >> at one point, the judge you were not elected to pockets, to corrupt way you did.e >> jack johnson must surrender federal authorities to start prison term on february 3. >> on our facebook page, we thought jack prison sentence was fair. of you thought it

undercover video showssa wad of cash in johnson's haan.in the tape...johnson even brrgs ...he hhs notveal what he told is wife to do with bribe money that wassstill in their crashing in.johnson'sswiie leslie ii also ssheduled for --3 senteecing lattr this week. 3 anger at the innnr arbor ... ps members of the occupy movement urn on thh mediaait happpned before aamarch to pity hall yesterddy. yesterday.(6:12) "you are antiiamerican, and you hat pmericans and you should be ashamed....!" ashamed....!"prrtestors.. who - are already mad about the lack of jobs ann income... turned their aagerrtoward us... inside mckeldin square.it's the same public park wwere protestors have ccmped for the police say tww people were & night... union leaders stood - with theeprotestors... endorsing their message... but not he violencee 3 (20:24) (mason)) "i am 100-percent certain thht no one downnhere ccndones thht piid of violence....."(27:15) "we want our ddmocracy backk thaas why we're working...." 3&pmarched to cityyhall last night to deliver that message pt the mayoo.while some & protestors admit their

johnson: 20 years ago. mr. ellison: they signed a pledge to not the american people but to grover norquist. mr. johnson: who does he represent? mr. ellison: you represent him? mr. johnson: i don't represent him answered doesn't represent me or the folks who predominate my district. i've got a 99er district. mr. ellison: i've got a 99er district. the thing that really gets me is that if grover norquist lived in my district, i would feel duty-bound to at least listen to him because i listen to everybody in my district. but to sign a pledge to him, to subvert the interests of the 99% is an outrageous thing. mr. johnson: all the while, congressman ellison, all the while pitying -- pitting americans against each other. trying to stoke hatred and anger among the -- amongst the 99 percenters on any issue they can. mr. ellison: divide and conquer. mr. johnson: that's the way it is. so right now comes, mr. ellison, and i feel i have to say this because you're such a great example of a true american patriot who lives lif

leslie johnson was arrested along with her husband jack johnson on november the 12th. a few weeks later on december the 6th, despite the charges against her, leslie johnson took the oath of office and began serving on the county council. as evidence mounted against her, leslie johnson pleaded guilty to destroying evidence and eventually resigned from the county council. key to the government's case against her was an audiotaped conversation with her husband. as fbi agents pounded on the door of their mitchellville home, jack johnson could be heard telling his wife to rip up a $100,000 check from a developer. she is heard on that tape flushing it down the toilet. he then told his wife to stuff the cash in her underwear. when she was found by fbi agents, leslie johnson was found to have nearly $80,000 in her bra. again, leslie johnson is going to be sentenced later on this morning. she's due in court at 10:30. joe, back to you. >> megan mcgrath reporting live. thanks very much, megan. we'll be in court for today's sentencing. look for live reports right here on news 4 an

leslie johnson is heading to prison. one of the most notorious corruption schemes. lawyers say she was an innocent spouse. the judge is not buying it. chris gordon is live in the news room with how much time she'll spend behind bars. >> she was sentenced to a year and a day. her husband sentenced to seven ye years by the same judge earlier this week. she benefited by the financial crimes of her husband. he planned to continue his legacy of corruption using her position on the county council, a seat she resigned after

johnson's term. the same judge will be presiding that sentenced her husband, jack johnson to seven years in prison. lesli johnson faces 12 to 18 months, a lot shorter time for her role in the pay to play scheme. she is charged with conspiring for witness and evidence tampering so she does face a year and a half in jail for her episode as the fbi came knocking. >> er you hear them banging? >> tear it up. >> it is the fbi, jack. >> i know. that's what i'm telling you. >> you want me to put it down the toilet? >> yes. >> you want me to flush it? >> yeah, flush that. >> reporter: and then she stuffed $80,000 in cash in her bra and underwear as she was instructed to do by her husband. the wiretaps clearly show she was aware of what was going on. her husband's misdeeds and taking kickbacks. the judge is known to be fair but tough on sentencing. we'll see what he will do today. he told jack johnson earlier this week on tuesday he was involved in pure cronyism and that political corruption, that he will pay

it does not end with johnson. johnson accepted up to a million dollars in bribes for a pay to play scheme during his eight years in office. in a recent memorandum by prosecutors, johnson went to great length to secure his financial status. once he left office and left his legacy with his wife to continue the work on county council. sentencing begins at 9:30 here at the federal courthouse in greenbelt. back to you. >> his wife is also facing sentencing this week. what can we expect? >> reporter: well, she faces a wire and evidence tampering charge. she faces 18 months in prison. and that happens on friday, andrea. >> surae chinn reporting live from greenbelt, maryland. >> sources tell 9news now harry thomas might take a leave ofance absence from the d.c. council. we were there when fbi and vieivelt raided thomas' home last friday. the councilman is accused of diverting $300,000 in public money for his personal use. it was originally meant for sports programs for kids. thomas denies doing anything wrong. just the sa

we have more on jack johnson and the sentencing. go to our website,." wjla.com. >>> let's turn to our weather now. we are seeing some rain, but it could turn into some snow in some areas. >> bob ryan is in the weather center. >> all you folks watching in west virginia you'll be seeing some snow late tomorrow and tomorrow night. around washington, if you stay up all night you may see some snow. this is really a rain producer. for folks across southern maryland, there is another batch of rain. so far, it has been rather light. look at the temperatures. these temperatures, it does not smell when it is near 60 degrees. -- does not snow when it is near 60 degrees. there is the area under a winter storm watch. for this storm 1-2 inches of rain is very likely. a slight chance there might be some wet snow. a snowstorm? at 0% for the washington area. we will be seeing sunshine returning. i will tell you all the details in just a few minutes. >>> gets ready to see more decorations outside the loudoun county courthouse. this skeleton and a santa claus costume was

from leslie johnson today. why she insisted on being sworn into the county council even after she was arrested. she said she did not want her character to be defined by that single act of stuffing the money. as to watch to continue to serve, she said she wanted to serve the people of the sixth district. she will have to turn herself in in march. >>> we have had a chilly day with a lot of sunshine. >> that is right. what is on tap for the weekend? bob ryan is in the weather center. >> we have had a beautiful day. i want to show you the sunset the earliest sunset of the year. look at the morning low temperatures. still not below freezing. 34 degrees 21 early this morning out at frederick. it is 43 right now. temperatures will rapidly drop. you can see a weather front coming through. that will bring in a bit chillier air as we head to the weekend. a lot of sunshine coming up, a clear night and also a bright night. i will explain that. quiet weekend, a lot of sunshine. i will show you the details. >>> we are follow

jack johnson learns he heads to prison. >> reporter: jack johnson got one of the longest sentences for corruption. and he apologized to the people of prince george's county. >> reporter: johnson, once the leader of maryland's second largest county, sold his office, prosecutors say bribes worth millions of dollars and then laughing off the investigation. if one of the prosecutors is able to bring somebody like me down, they brag their whole career, you know. i prosecute jack johnson. [ laughter ] >> reporter: but he was not laughing in federal court when a judge ordered him to pay $100,000, seized his classic 1953 mercedes like this one, and sentenced him to seven years and three months in federal prison. johnson's lawyers argued with his medical problems, that's a death sentence. but the judge shot back. you were not elected to line your pockets. you brought this on yourself. >> reporter: if jack johnson's johnson's story were a screenplay, critics would say it's too bizarre to be true. >> reporter: and johnson got his wife leslie involved. asking her to hide thousands of diswhrz in --

you and i can do it. >> governor johnson? >> talking about american competitiveness abroad, back to the fair tax, we implement the fair tax. arguably our goods and services become 23% more competitive. that's really the answer is a level playing field in this country that does not exist today. something that government can do and i did as governor of new mexico was create a level playing field where everybody was playing by the same rules as opposed to whoever has the money and whoever is willing to pay for the special favors and get them does just that. >> all right. i need to take a little break here. we're going to come back and do other issues. we heard from all the other candidates in the big debates when it comes to this one big question about the current federal budget. >> say you had a deal, a real spending cuts deal. ten to one as byron says, spending cuts to tax increases. can you raise your hand if you feel so strongly about not raising taxes, you would walk away on the ten to one deal? >> both governors, you both

leslie johnson pled guilty in june.an mcgrath is live outside the courthouse with more on what we can expect. >> reporter: good morning, joe. leslie johnson is due in court at 10:30 this morning. she pleaded guilty to destroying evidence, and under sentencing guidelines, she could get anywhere from one year to 18 months behind bars. it remains to be seen, though, whether her attorneys ask for something other than the sentencing guidelines, provide something less than the minimum sentence. that's what her husband's attorneys did earlier this week. leslie johnson arrested along with her husband, former county executive jack johnson, back on november the 12th. just weeks later on december the 6th, despite the charges against her, she took the oath of office and took her seat on the county council. as the evidence against her mounted, leslie johnson did eventually plead guilty to destroying evidence and eventually resigned from the council. key to the government's case against her was an audiotaped conversation with her hus

it was a year ago when the johnson gosly family was in an emergency room worried about yasir johnson. he was helping to fix up the family home when he accidentally severed his hand. so in october the "extreme makeover" crew arrived on mardela springs on the eastern shore to build the family a new home, yashirr was allowed to stay behind to help build the new house as his family was sent on vacation. not only did the family get a new home, yasir and his sister received a full scholarship to salisbury. >> my studies, i can do whatever i want. reporter: yes, he is excited. you can watch the full episode tonight right here on abc 2 starting at 8:00. linda so, abc 2 news. >>> time now for five things you need to know on this friday morning, at 9:00 governor martin o'malley will host a symposium on job creation in annapolis. the governor discusses the steps necessary to create jobs in maryland. >>> just at last year, president obama says he's delay a hawaii vacation to talk about job benefit for the long-term unemployed and tax cuts. >>> and on hanukkah, the first lady joined vice president

the three men who work with johnson in the conspiracy, james johnson, no relation, dr. mersa bage and patrick ricker won't be sentenced until march. his wife leslie will be sentenced this coming friday. brian. >> a lot of watchers would likic -- feel like this i'm so ill all of a sudden excuse of thin today. you getting that impression from the court watchers there? >> and that was brought out clearly by the prosecutors and they didn't believe it n. july, he was seen having a robust game golf, carrying his own bag, riding a bike and that perhaps the tremors he was having is do you to alcohol. he's been drinking heavily. >> paul wagner tonight. >>> with the final chapter now written, current prince georges county executive, baker, said nothing has changed. his focus and the focus on the rest of the count's leaders, never stray from how to move the county forward. >> of course, my prayers go out to the johnson family. this is a hard time for them as well as for the county and what i think you have seen with the changing of the gavel here is that we moved on. >> the d.c. c

and johnson intimidated him.he always used to say that he would never let, after he didn't tell johnson the truth about vietnam, he decided he would always tell the president the truth of p. was ever asked. and it turns out that almost every president after johnson did ask them for it by said one or another. and including reagan. even though he had been in the carter administration and even though he had ron carter's campaign against reagan, nancy reagan arranged for strauss and the former secretary of state, republican bill rogers, to sneak into the white house one evening. they went into the treasury building and they went through the underground tunnel. bobbitt never been through this underground tunnel before and it sort of looked like a fallout shelter and there were beds lining the walls and he couldn't believe he was there. he went out to the residence of the white house and it buys the president on what to do about the iran-contra scandal. and he advised him to get rid of chief of staff don reagan and he