Democrat Politician Actually Caught Flushing Money Down the Toilet

It's been said forever that these politicians are flushing our money down the toilet. Now one enterprising Maryland Democrat has formally begun the process.

Talk about wasteful spending.

A Maryland politician accused of flushing tens of thousands of dollars down the toilet told reporters he was innocent on charges he'd taken kickbacks for years - and he has the facts to prove it.

Jack Johnson, a former prosecutor who has served as the executive of a suburban county near Washington D.C. for the past eight years, is accused of accepting kickbacks after a four-year FBI investigation caught him taking tens of thousands of dollars from real estate developers.

The real drama, according to an affidavit posted on CNN.com, began when the FBI busted into a meeting where Johnson had allegedly received a $15,000 payoff and demanded an explanation. Not realizing he had been completely busted, Johnson told agents the money was for a party to celebrate the end of his term as county executive.

Soon after, his wife called.

With the authorities at her door, Johnson's wife, Leslie, reportedly frantically phoned her husband and explained that "two women are at the door."

Johnson told his wife not to let the women in and instructed her to go upstairs in their bedroom and get a check from his drawer - a check FBI agents said was for $100,000.

"They're saying they're FBI Jack, do you want me to put it down the toilet?" Leslie Johnson asked her husband as FBI agents listened in on the wiretapped phone.

"Yes, flush that," he allegedly replied.

Leslie Johnson then allegedly put $79,600 in cash in her bra, according to the FBI.

Despite being caught on the wiretap, Jack Johnson told reporters he was innocent of all charges - including tampering with evidence.

Leslie Johnson, who was just elected to the Prince George's County Council, was charged with tampering with evidence.

Naturally, we're forced to play Name That Party here, yet it's always obvious what party these crooks are in the omission of the word Democrat. At least some outlets will tell you.

Jack Johnson, 61, has been county executive since 2002; his term ends in three weeks. The Democrat was the county state's attorney for eight years before that. Born in Charleston, S.C., Johnson attended Benedict College and got his law degree from Howard University, where his wife was also a law student.

Leslie Johnson, 58, worked for the District of Columbia government for nearly three decades before running for a seat on the council. She has been honored for her work in education and for a program she co-founded that provides support for women in jail. The couple has three children.