Former Michigan House Speaker Accused of Accepting Bribes, Including Commercial Sex, During Tenure as Cannabis Licensing Board Chair.
In addition to cash payments and private jet travel, former Michigan House Speaker Rick Johnson received “thousands of dollars worth of commercial sex” with a sex worker as bribes during his time as chair of the now-defunct Michigan Medical Marihuana Licensing Board, according to a federal court filing published Thursday.
Johnson and three other individuals have been charged and pleaded guilty to federal corruption charges in the bribery scheme. The first individual to plead guilty, John Dalaly, received a 28-month federal prison sentence Thursday during a hearing in Grand Rapids. During the hearing, his attorney Raymond Cassar said Dalaly had no involvement with the sex worker being provided to Johnson.
According to a sentencing memo filed by federal prosecutors in Johnson’s case, “Johnson demanded and received at least $110,200 in bribes while he was MMLB Chair, including cash payments, a $20,000 ‘loan’ with no repayment terms or demand, flights on private aircraft, and thousands of dollars’ worth of commercial sex with a woman in the adult entertainment industry.”
“In return, Johnson provided an unfair advantage to bribe payers in the form of his favorable vote on license applications, his help and support throughout the licensing process, and confidential inside information pertaining to the Board’s work and other…
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