Pot is now legal in Michigan, although lots of laws were broken in issuing the first licenses to sellers and growers. Two additional bad actors were sentenced today in connection with a brazen bribery scandal.
The person who admits accepting the bribes is Rick Johnson—a former Speaker of the Michigan House of Representatives who became chair of the Michigan Medical Marijuana Licensing Board in June of 2017. Johnson went on to receive 38 illegal payments over the next 28 months from lobbyists representing medical cannabis license applicants.
The total amount received was over $110,000. According to court filings, the bribes came in the form of direct payments, private plane trips to Canada, and even a $2,000 payment for commercial sex between Johnson and a woman in the adult entertainment industry.
Court documents further indicate that Johnson set up elaborate systems to conceal the bribes that included burner phones, multiple LLCs, and cover stories. For instance, Johnson’s wife was paid $2,000 per month for bookkeeping services she never performed.
Read more at wndu.com