WHAT? YOU SEE THAT'S THE PROBLEM WITH MANY IN LEADERSHIP IN THE BLACK COMMUNITY. THESE FREAKIN MIXED SIGNALS HAVE TO STOP.THE CHURCH IS SUPPOSED TO TEACH MORALITY AND INSTEAD OF THIS THEY ARE PAINTING THIS GUY LIKE THE VICTIM. IT IS CALLED ENABLING. I DON'T THINK WE SHOULD HAVE ANYTHING TO SAY ABOUT THIS UNTIL THE JUSTICE PROCESS PLAYS OUT. PRAY FOR HIM IF HE WAS FRAMED, NOT BECAUSE THIS IS A DIFFICULT TIME IN HIS LIFE.IF HE DID IT THEN HE HE DID IT. HE SHOULD BE CONDEMNED FOR IT AND WE CAN PRAY FOR HIM LATER. HE AND THIS CHURCH ARE GIVING OUR WHOLE RACE A BAD NAME, AS IF WE NEED ANY HELP WITH THAT. WHY DON'T THEY PRAY FOR AND TEACH FINANCIAL AND SOCIAL EDUCATION, SO WE CAN KEEP OUR FAMILIES AND COMMUNITIES STRONG. WE NEED TO USE THIS AS AN EXAMPLE FOR OUR PEOPLE TO LEARN FROM. DO THE RIGHT THING. NEXT WE ARE GOING TO VOTE HIM BACK IN LIKE MARION BARRY. THIS CHURCH SHOULD BE ASHAMED OF THEMSELVES. PRAY FOR PEOPLE LIKE MYSELF WHO DOING THE RIGHT THINGS IN LIFE, WHO WILL BE STIGMATIZED BECAUSE I SHARE THE SAME TONE OF SKIN AS MANY PEOPLE WHO ARE COMMITTING CRIMES LIKE THESE AND WORSE. I DON'T WANT ANYTHING TO DO WITH THIS SITUATION AND NO UPSTANDING, RESPONSIBLE, SELF-RESPECTING AFRICAN-AMERICAN SHOULD WANT TO EITHER.

I'm praying, too. I'm praying that he gets convicted and gets a long sentence. I'm tired of crooked politicians being in office. Book-em, Dano.

I think its a shame that obviously this successful man & woman had to resort to such unscrupulous level. I realize, innocent until proven guilty, however, they took advantage if their power and thought they were above the law. What about innocent people who wanted to bid on same jobs and because they didn't have the money to bribe someone they did not get it. I would like to see them go after the company's who thought they could buy bu]ids. Its sickening. Unfortunately, there are probably many more politicians who after just as corrupt! Lets pray they throw the book at them!!!

this is a joke right?

Pray for a long prison sentence for both these corrupt scums.

What kind of person could run for elected office kissing babies, shaking hands, and assuring the voter that she was the best one to elect, knowing all along the way that you had $180,000 you would be stuffing in your bra and flushing down the toilet when that knock on your door arrived?

Only a morally decrepit person could do that and she should never be allowed to take her new position.

You've GOT to be kidding me. I mean really... South Park couldn't write something this absurd. He's on tape telling her to put cash in her underpants, and they're having a PRAYER MEETING for them? Of all the things to bother the Almighty with...

How does praying keep a criminal from being a criminal?

While the church should pray for his soul, everything else should stop there. If he is as corrupt as it appears, he should face the consequences. Matthew Hay Brown's post hits the nail on the head.

Hey, they are not convicted.

CANIGETASCREENNAME...

I agree w/your post 100%!!!!!

If people commit crimes they need to be punished.

The title of this blog entry should be "Baltimorons praying for Jack Johnson, PG County"

These are the same fools that sit on BALTIMORE CITY JURIES and decide important cases involving thugs and thieves. Would you want this group to sit on a jury where you are the victim? Guess what ,if you live in Baltimore City they already do.

Emmett C. Burns, indeed. This is the man from the House of the Rising Sun that tried to pass a bigoted anti-marriage law because he thinks LGBT folk should sit at the back of the bus. Now he comes to the defense of Jack caught in the act Johnson and his lovely wife Leslie who had 80 grand stuffed in her undies. This is the same Burns that voted for felon's voting rights. This is the same Emmett Burns that voted against handgun permits for victims of domestic violence, who voted against Hospital Visitation and Decision-Making Rights for Domestic Partners.

A friend of felon's and wife beaters and an enemy of loving couples.

And now he want's us to pray for the poor little victims of the “FBI sting.”

Get thee behind me.

Let's teach the next generation of politicians not to whore themselves.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HqZ1xQ9fHXk

Nota bene: Tribe will always be greater than nation or religion. This story proves the truth in this statement.

I will prey for him too> I prey his wife is raped and he too is raped.
I prey for the church of phony souls who treat Johnson as the victim. I prey the church buns down to the ground and is never replaced.
I prey he does 20 yrs in Federal Prison. Ha Ha!!
I prey the pastor of church is exposed as a homosexual predator.

There are many of us who know these Jack Johnsons are occupying positions of power all over the country. It is Jack who stated "the free ride is over" when talking about raising property taxes again. Build more houses with Federal money granted to his buddies in the building industry while taking kick backs and getting more tax revenue. People of Prince Georges County, your enemy is the government. They have nothing but what they steal from others. Your lack of good judgement and knowlege of how the world works condemns you to be continually by the Jack Johnsons of the world. Your salvation lies in obedience to Christ, not the state.

God has answered your prayers . His answer is NO !

We could all take lessons from the black community of non voters, these black "leaders" snookered into voting for this criminal and his betters at the state level. The only wasted vote, is the one that's cast. Stop legitimizing your rulers by voting for them. The system is rotten to the core.

yep. Pray for him and his family.

They will definitely need it. 20 years is a LONG time to serve in JAIL for fraud, deceit, theft, aiding and abetting, and who knows what else they were doing to the innocent taxpayers for the last 8 or MORE years these two hustler were taking advantage of their County Residents?

It is SHAMEFUL and embarrassing for us Marylanders in other counties that we have to suffer for the sins of this one unscrupulous politician, and his selfish stingy, thieving, self-serving wife.

None of us wants our STATE soiled with THEIR UGLINESS. Baltimore can use their churches to pray..we don't want that around here..
Let the courts determine the EXTENT of the Corruption, and continue finding every last bit of it, no matter HOW FAR it leads, even if it leads into churches, and other counties and political agendas!

Tax churches. Tax churches. Tax churches. How many times do I need to say it? They are businesses like any other - except less honest and more destructive of society. What little help they give goes to their own members 99% of the time and 90% of the donations they receive goes to build fancier crystal cathedrals and line the pockets of their staff. Don't restrict religious belief, just make them pay their fair share of running this town, county, state, and nation. Tax dodging by ignoring the verse "Render unto Caesar" = selective political selfish bible study.

I am black and I can't stand it when race comes into play. He is being investigated for corruption. How does the black vote have anything to do with this? Black people make me sick.

Pray for the people of Prince Georges County; Yes. Pray for Jack Johnson, well only if you want to.

Yes Jack has done a lot of good for the County, but at what expense. We are seeing only the tip of the iceberg. This is not the first time the executive offices of Prince Georges County have been raided. Two year ago State and Federal law enforcement raided all but Jacks office.

The people of Prince Georges deserve better than what the have. Now every cut back Jack Johnson has instituted is called into question and for good reason.

When service cut backs and furloughs were first instituted Jack Johnson was taking his cronies on first class trips to far off lands on the county tab. What was Jack getting in exchange.

Yes pray for the people of PG County, there going to need all the help and prayers they can get, for every time spent from here on out for the foreseeable future is going to have to be justified many times over. This will hurt the people of the PG county.

I can't approve of corruption, but this is no different than any other group that has been marginalized. James Michael Curley was the Mayor of Boston and Governor of Massachussetts; he was first elected as an Alderman while in prison for fraud.
The point is that politicians like Mr. Johnson come from every quarter of society.

For those of you that have not read "Pimps in the Pulpit", please read it. This is a perfect example of a crooked politician and a crooked preacher trying to lead people away from God and truth. The truth WILL set you free. However, this preacher wants to enslave his people with deceit, lies and corruption.

The whites attack any African American who is a success. Soon they will go after every African American politico.

NIGERO'S are PROVING that the NIGERO is by NATURE a CORRUPT VILE RACIST ONLY INTERESTED IN "ME" !!!

These BLAK RATS should be HUNG for their CRIMES!!!!

REPEAL the 14th AMENDMENT NOW!!!!

They need to pray for ALL Marylanders, who are ALL corrupt Yankees from mostly godforsaken New York and New Jersey.
This corruption woud bnot have taken place away from the east coast--only in Maryland and nearby states

Tired of codling Criminals.
Make them pay back or either a
"Devil's Island" or take down South
and push over Mexican Border.
For without a doubt Murders,
"Capital punishment", instead
of wasting our hard earned
dollars, keeping them.
For Crooked politicians
and traitors,
the same above.

I"m an African American and former police officer with PG County. People are forgetting what this guy did over there as a State's attorney. If there was an allegation of brutality from an officer during an arrest the criminal would go free and the criminal would sue the county. He hated the police and now we know why. Criminals typically hate the police. Now he will get a taste of his own medicine. I was a victim of his politics and he ruined a lot of peoples lives. I pray for his family but he can stay his behind in jail.

Now why doesnt he pray for the dozens of youth who are arrested for shooting or stabbing people each week in the City or B-County? Oh dear. Now the IRS and teh US ATTY will have to subpoena your books, Reveryranddo. Gonna have to find a competent (i.e., someone who doesn't belong to your church or any other)accountant and attorney from Pikesville or Hunt Valley. Big bucks. Now praying for Marvin Mandel, back in the day, might have been a wise investment. Not for a gangbanger in a suit from the Howard Vocational School for Legal Wannabes. [Guess who's the Ho Ho Dean? Yalie and Clean Negro-to paraphrase liberal icon Harry Reid- Kurt Schmoeke.] All so heavenly.

Praying for a criminal.... they should be investigated... I Wonder of he funneled money into THEIR organization... Hmmm...

My first thought would echo others in terms of the other honest businesses submitting rejected bids with employees counting on them to keep their work flow going in these bad economic times. This gives a new meaning to or rather further supports the perception of Maryland not being business friendly. They apparently had the goods on these people prior to the elections which could have been a major game changer in this regard. I've pretty much had it with this state, the dishonestly and corrupt leadership continues ruin the great state of Maryland. I would also question the point of this article, is this an attempt to soften the slap to the face of Marylanders. This is a complete mockery of the political process in this not being revealed until right after the elections.

What message is the church sending tot he youth. the elected leaders are crooks and you want us to pray for them. why is the church not trying to help the youth by being role models and not glorifying the criminals. the pastor of this church should be ashamed of himself. the people of PG Montg. county do not want this type of leadership.

Fritz- your suggestion to tax churches is reactionary and ludicrous. Churches are a place of refuge for the poor. Using the power of deceitful, thieving thug laden government is not the solution. Godly parishoners are. They would hold their preachers in check. The problem is not the tax exempt status of churches, it's the Godless paritioners who cannot identify false prophets. "Render unto caesar" was a clever answer to evil men with an agenda to do harm, nothing more. If you want to know what Christ thought of worldly government, you should read I Samuel carefully. Read about what he said to Samuel when the Israelites requested a king, his answer includes taxation. The worldly view of many churches are at odds with Gods law. The worldly governments are at war with Christ.

The exact answer, are Godly families who have no need of mans law, or corrupt churches, businesses, or the corporations who all use the power of government and it's use of force through taxation, the courts and law enforcement.

You burden yourselves with intrusive governments, and continually ask them to "fix" what's broken by creating more powerful governments with broader regulatory power. Government has nothing but what it steals from productive members of society. Until you recognize this fact, you will continually victimize yourself at the voting booth. You are all insane.

I hope there is a follow-up to this article. I want to know how many people actually showed up for this "prayer" meeting for these alleged criminals. Are we brewing up another OJ? Evidence be damned? He and his wife are scapegoats of white America?

PG is majority Black-American owned and operated. If the evidence is there (in bras or anywhere else) then these people need to suffer the legal consequences.

It IS offensive that this Preacher is prepping us for the whole black celebrity victim thing.

Other posters are right - they should be praying for the youth who were born into a culture of violence and complete disregard for human life and civil behavior.

This kind of response just keeps sending all the wrong messages. How many folk attended, and what were their motivations? It will be hard to present a case of white racism being the culprit in a county like PG. But I've no doubt that this Preacher and his followers will do just that.

There is nothing wrong with praying for Jack. So long as the prayers are for Gods will to be done.

-To some submissions I'd advise you, there are no honest businesses who are asking for federal grants. They are all immoral. Federal money was all stolen from productive citizens of all of the states, which could have been used in their own homes. It's stolen through taxation and government borrowing from rotten to the core banks. Whenever you say "The government should...." you are asking to be stolen from. Businesses who's sole success is based on government funding, are businesses who rely on theft. This must be understood. Jack Johnson is a symptom, not the main problem.

Wait a minute, you all act like you have been perfect all your life. He is innocent until proven guilty. Give me a break, if you have over 79,000 in your house, I am sure you would put in your underwear too if the FBI knocked at your door. You are not going to leave it their so they can take it. The love of God surpasses all understanding, it is unconditional and it wipes out all our troubles. Therefore, PRAY IS NECESSARY

The saddest part about this blog is that the respondees seem as much or more upset about the prayer than they are about what someone has been accused of. The bible tells us to pray, and it doesnt exclude praying for people with criminal charges.

This is the problem in the black community. Many of the so called "leaders" in black community want to blame "whitey"when a black politican gets busted for a crime. This guy has been corrupt for years. I prey he gets 25 - life and his wife gets the same. You see that's the difference between many blacks and whites. When a white politican gets busted for a crime we want him locked up and the key thrown away.

If Mr. Johnson and His wife are guilty of these charges, then they should be punished accordingly. But, I must ask, Why isn't Bob Erlich being investigated and or arrested for his part in the election day suppression? Is it because he is White or is it open season on black politicians another way of trying to get their country back?

No Greg, it is because he wasn't stupid enough to tell an accomplice to hide 80 grand in her undies on a tapped phone.

All I can say is WOW. Regardless of what was said on the phone by Mr. Johnson or his wife. The both are innocent until proven guilty. I don't see the problem with praying. Those on this blog should be praying for all regardless of their transgressions. In the eyes of God a sin is a sin is a sin. We are so quick to cast down another person, however supposed our life was wide open for everyone to see. What would be exposed about you. I will continue to pray for Him, his family and all politions. Some of the things that people are posting on the blog is down right discusting. How or why in the world would wish someone to get raped. That is crazy. My prayer is that God's will, will be done. I pray for all that is on this Blog as well. Please remember none of us has a heaven or hell to put someone in.

Hey DIMOUSE ! You call all of US insane while you defend these thieves and their enabling tax-dodging pastor while your only "references" are works of fiction and creative marketing proven wrong through the ages in nearly every detail? You sound like another televangelist or home town huckster minister desperately trying to protect his cash flow from increasing public scrutiny and skepticism! PAY YOUR GAHDDAMM PROPERTY TAXES YOU LEECH and then preach whatever nonsense you want to whatever frightened fools follow you. But get this - this is a diverse free secular democracy whether you like it or not and We The People will not let anti-science hateful religious extremists like you take over this Nation as if it were Iran.

Greg, there's old saying"better to be thought a fool then open your mouth and remove all doubt". You're an idiot. Yes sir let's play the race and victim card, something people like you do very well. By the way moron, the Attorney General of Maryland is investigating the robocalls,and has already stated, the Erlich had no knowlegde of the calls.

Sadly, the FBI should have nailed this guy long ago. But the good pastor's efforts are to defy accountability. BTW, those 80Gs is really 'dirty money.'

This "black" thing makes me want to puke! You say just because he and his wife are black that he is a victim. You are so full of it!
All you (AA), who believe they are victims, are just ignorant, enabling, cheating hypocrites who deny the reality of fact. Maybe that is why your young are being slaughtered in the streets of Bodymore and elsewhere in Md!
Quit with the woo is me thing and get with the, I want to take control of my life thing!
This 'pray for them' thing is just a veiled 'let my brother go' thing. Get real. Man up, woman up and say 'this corruption' by any politician, has to stop now!
Anything else is just a very bad example for the next generation, enabling and racist! Period.

YOU CAN PRAY ALL THAT YOU WANT BUT IF THE FEDS GET YOU FOR THE MOST PART THEY GOT YOU. I SMELL A PLEA BARGAIN COMING UP WHERE HE WILL PLEAD GUILTY AND THEY WILL LET HIS WIFE GO. IT SEEMS THAT SHE IS NOT TO SMART TRYING TO PUT $79,000.OO IN HER UNDERWEAR. STUPID IS AND STUPID DOES. CONSIDERING THAT HE WAS A STATES ATTORNEY HE SHOULD HAVE KNOWN THAT SOONER OR LATER SOMETHING WAS GOING TO COME DOWN THE PIKE AND SLAM HIM. WHEN HE LEAVE THE GARMATZ BUILDING HE WILL BE IN HANDCUFFS

Pray that more corrupt politicians get caught and put in jail where they belong!

Fritz,

You have no reading comprehension skills whatsoever.

The Bible calls for us to be compassionate when people fall. This lack of compassion is what is preventing the country from achieving bipartisanship.
Dr. Burns is concerned about the arrest of Johnson not because he agrees with his actions or is trying to defend them, but because of the impact that it could have on the newly elected County Executive Rushern. Baker. He does not want to see total chaos invade this county that is being severely impacted by job losses and foreclosures. He is also concerned because of the sacrifices he and his fellow classmates at Jackson State in Mississippi made during the civil rights movement of the sixties to make it possible for individuals like Johnson to hold elected offices. He, like other civil rights warriors fears the repercussions that Johnson's action could have on future black politicians.
However, the Bible still commands us to love the sinner and hate the sin. We will never achieve by Bipartisanship if we refuse to forgive each other. I wonder if things would have been different for Obama if he had visited Rush Limbaugh, the unofficial head of the Republican Party, when he had that heart attack in Hawaii. Obama was only minutes away from the hospital. Such a visit from the Nobel Peace Prize winner would have been a true teachable moment and might have helped to soften the heart of this Obama foe.

We invite the public to put their partisanship aside and join us in a National Day of Prayer and Fasting for Bipartisanship on Wednesday, November 17 in front of the Obama White House from 10:30 AM to 1 PM. We have musicians from the Philippines and the Washington metropolitan area performing. We will proudly form emergency prayer circles with tourists and concerned American citizens in the area during this time.

Obama, Pelosi, Boehner and McConnell should be at the front of the prayer line. WE HOPE THAT OBAMA WILL OPEN UP HIS THURSDAY MEETING WITH THESE ANGRY AND NON-COMPROMISING REPUBLICANS AND TEA-PARTIERS WITH PRAY. ALL OF THESE ELECTED OFFICIALS NEED DIVINE GUIDANCE AND WISDOM.
UNLESS GOD IS BROUGHT INTO THE PICTURE, NOW, THIS COUNTRY IS HEADED FOR MORE GRIDLOCK. ABSOLUTELY NOTHING WILL GET DONe DURING THE NEXT TWO YEARS.. OBAMA, MUST LEAD THE WAY AND CALL THE COUNTRY TO PRAYER AND FASTING NOW. WE URGE OBAMA TO EMULATE THE EXAMPLE OF CHILEAN PRESIDENT PINERA WHO GAVE GOD GLORY WHEN THE MINERS WERE RELEASED THE TIME HAS COME FOR OBAMA TO PRAISE THE RULER OF THE UNIVERSE WHO ARRANGED CIRCUMSTANCES SO THAT HE COULD BE PRESIDENT.

Rocky Twyman, Founder
Pray at the Pump Movement that used prayer and action to bring down high gas prices.

I do agree with felon's having the right to vote, they pay taxes if they have a job. I disagree with voting against handgun permits for victims of domestic violence, I think they should have the right to get a handgun. But getting to Jack Lesile Johnson, it is a shame to see poeple that is looked up to be so dishonest. but until proven guilty they are innocent. I'm glad the FBI have been doing their jobs because who ever you are not matter what position you hold you should be punished for your actions. The Johnson have really made Prince Goerges county live up to the lable that has been put on the County by surronding residents in other counties, which is the crime rate. What Jack and Leslie Johnson have did is a crime if found guilty, which I think they will because of the tape. Its said to have looked up to people like this. But keep in mind the New County Executive going into office. He took money from Southern Management and put one of them on his transitional team, high up. So I guess he's not much different, with the pay to play thing either. Dame shame I will no longer vote, I have lost trust int he government. I will not vote an any election ever again and If I can I will encourage others to do the same.

Clearly this is rascism of the highest order. If this were a white couple they would not be arrested. We need to come together and hold a midnight prayer vigil in which we all sing we shall overcome, THe Right Rev. Jackson will be there and all of the other leaders in the black community.

If the Bra don't fit you must aquit!

Get serious Rocky. Calling a man that has tried desperately to deny civil rights to LGBT Marylanders a “civil rights warrior” is an abuse of the language. Perhaps he fought for civil rights back in the day, but he quit.

Your concern for the repercussions that Johnson's misbehavior will have on “future black politicians” is equally in error. First because your concern is about the color of the politician's skin, rather than the content of his character. Second because we should rejoice that wrongdoers are caught and brought to justice so that our politicians know that they cannot use their power for their own selfish ends.

Jack and Leslie Johnson would have done well to study their Bible and they would have learned what is written in Proverbs 15:27 “The greedy bring ruin to their households, but the one who hates bribes will live.” Mr. Johnson has ruined his own household. He is not a victim.

“No peace for the wicked, sayeth my God!” Isaiah 57:20

Please give up comments like “We will never achieve by Bipartisanship if we refuse to forgive each other.” There is not a single word in the Bible that suggests that either man or God should or will forgive sin without repentance.

God is not about bipartisanship Rocky. In fact He is extremely partisan. Good ought not cooperate with evil. At least not in my church.

But if that's they way they do it at the House of the Rising Sun then God bless them and God bless their situation.

donato,
You racist, red neck, peckerwood, non-spelling ILLEGAL. You should suffer the same fate as your buddy Adolf Hitler. That's the same mentality, that caused 50 million souls, to die 65 years ago. Hopefully, there's not too many of your kind that can sneak into this country. I'm not saying what this crooked individual did was right, but you're worse than he and his wife are together. Your kind needs to go back to whereever or whatever rock you crawled from under.

DiMoose - you are 100% correct.

I pray for justice, peace, and sanity.

i don't understand why this has to be a "black issue". remember Rod Blagojevich trying to sell the president's vacant senate seat. wasn't he white? remember tom delay being investigated? isn't he white? what about the gov spitzer of new york who got busted with a prostitute. isn't he white? don't let anyone tell you that you should be ashamed of being black. corrutption comes in all colors. pg has a lot to be proud of.

Are you serious, what the heck is wrong with people? Why do people always feel the need to run to God once they are caught doiing something wrong. Was he praying while he was on the phone telling his wife to hide that 80k and fluch the check. Smh this is a disgrace.This is not a issue of color of religon its a issuse of THEFT. He and his wife did the crime, now they must pay for their actions plain and simple.

Yes I think what jack johnson and his wife did was wrong, I have lived in prince georges county all my life, and all I have seen was homes going up and nothing being done for those who live in apartments and for senior citizens it always seemes that the low income housing people are forgotten. No apartments being built, our community has been forgotten.

Jerry,

Work hard, save your money. No one owes you a house.