Feds hit SC prosecutor Dan Johnson with more charges, including obstruction of justice
Criminal charges keep piling up against suspended 5th Circuit Solicitor Dan Johnson of Columbia.
The U.S. Attorney’s office in Columbia on Wednesday announced a federal grand jury has indicted Johnson on numerous additional criminal charges.
Those additional charges include obstruction of justice, making false statements, theft of federal dollars and mail fraud.
No details were released about what specific allegations underlay the new criminal charges. The new charges carry maximum sentences of five to 20 years in prison, according to the release.
The State called Johnson for comment, but he hung up when a reporter identified himself. Efforts to reach Johnson’s attorney for comment were not immediately successful.
Johnson, one of 16 elected state prosecutors in South Carolina, was first indicted on Sept. 18 by a federal grand jury on 26 fraud charges.
The indictment charged that Johnson and a top aide, Nicole Holland, spent more than $55,000 in taxpayer money on personal matters. Johnson and Holland misused office credit cards for personal “travel, vacations, romantic liaisons, medical expenses and double-reimbursements for military training,” according to the 10-page indictment.
The “romantic liaisons” refer to Johnson’s alleged activities, not Holland’s, according to numerous sources familiar with the case. Holland was Johnson’s top bookkeeper and oversaw the office’s credit card spending. The charges in the indictment carry up to 20 years in prison and $250,000 fines.
Holland was not named in the newest indictment against Johnson.
On Nov. 1, in a surprise development at a federal court hearing, Holland pleaded guilty to two charges in return for having the others dropped. Holland also agreed at that hearing to testify for the government in future court proceedings against Johnson.
Johnson, who was voted out of office in this year’s election, also has been accused of sexual harassment by female lawyers who worked in his office. However, no criminal charges have arisen from those allegations, which Johnson denies.
Johnson and Holland also have been charged by a state grand jury with various corruption offenses. Both have pleaded not guilty.
Within days of his first indictment, Johnson was suspended from office by Gov. Henry McMaster.
As chief prosecutor for Richland and Kershaw counties, Johnson enjoyed a $140,000-a-year salary, oversaw more than 100 employees and made final decisions on nearly all criminal cases in those two counties. Johnson could look forward to a guaranteed pension of some $100,000 after eight years as solicitor, as chief prosecutors are called.
But, if convicted, Johnson’s financial future is in jeopardy. A conviction would sharply limit his state pension. He also would lose his law license and his military rank and future benefits (he is a major in the S.C. Air National Guard).
Johnson’s woes began last March, when S.C. newspapers began publishing stories about the solicitor’s questionable office spending over the past eight years.
Soon after accounts of Johnson’s and Holland’s spending published, the FBI and SLED announced investigations. The newspaper stories showed Johnson had spent tens of thousands of taxpayer dollars traveling around the world to places like the Galapagos Islands and visiting numerous casino complexes.
Johnson denied any wrongdoing and filed to run in the June Democratic primary for another four-year term as solicitor. He was trounced by Democrat Byron Gipson, who went on to win the Nov. 6 general election.
Staff writer Avery G. Wilks contributed to this story.
This story was originally published November 21, 2018 at 3:06 PM.