Former Michigan House speaker admits he took bribes as head of state’s medical marijuana licensing board

The previous head of Michigan’s medical cannabis licensing board and previous state Home speaker confessed to taking more than $110,000 in kickbacks to assist services get medical cannabis licenses, according to a plea contract submitted in federal court.

Rick Johnson, 70, consented to plead guilty to the felony charge of accepting a kickback, confessing he acted “corruptly,” according to the contract.

CNN has actually connected to Johnson’s lawyer, Nick Dondzila, for remark.

Johnson acted as the chair of the licensing board from 2017 to 2019 and formerly acted as the state Home speaker from 2001 to 2004, according to state records.

Johnson, and 3 other people who were charged associated to the case, have actually consented to work together with the FBI and the United States lawyer’s workplace in the examination, according to the United States lawyer’s workplace.

” Public corruption is a toxin to any democracy,” United States Lawyer for the Western District of Michigan Mark Totten stated in a press release. “Those who wield the power of state have a spiritual responsibility to serve the individuals they represent. However when a federal government authorities takes a kickback, they reject that solemn responsibility– in favor of the linked, the misaligned, and eventually themselves.”.

Johnson deals with an optimum of ten years in jail and a fine of $250,000 and should pay back the $110,200 that he got in money payments and advantages, according to the plea contract.

If Johnson completely complies, the United States lawyer’s workplace might submit a movement to minimize his sentence, according to the plea contract.