11 Times Progressive NJ Gov Candidate Jim Johnson Was Low-Key A Legend

On June 6th, New Jersey voters will go to the polls to elect a Democratic nominee for Governor. But how much do you know about the candidates? Here are 11 times progressive Democrat Jim Johnson proved he's ready to become New Jersey's next Governor.

1. When Jim received the Alexander Hamilton Award at the U.S. Treasury.

Jim became the Under Secretary of Treasury for Enforcement when he was 37 and received the Alexander Hamilton Award, the Department of Treasury’s highest award, given to officials for excellence in service...Now that's "young, scrappy and hungry."

2. When Jim doubled the solve rate on church arsons alongside former Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick.

Jim was named the co-chair of the National Church Arson Task Force by President Bill Clinton alongside then-Assistant Attorney General Deval Patrick. Their work resulted in an arrest rate of 36.2%, more than twice the national average for arson cases. More than 305 defendants were convicted in connection with 224 arsons or bombings.

3. When Jim's agents tricked drug dealers and bankers into coming to a “casino opening” but threw them in jail instead.

Via Giphy.com

“The Mexican bankers arrested Saturday had planned on a much more celebratory weekend. Agents had used several ruses to lure them to this country. Some had arrived in San Diego, where they had thought they would be attending a banking conference on money laundering. Others, with whom undercover agents had participated in money laundering activity, were told to come to a casino opening in Mesquite, Nev., where, they were told, their drug cash would be welcomed.”

-New York Times, 5/19/98

4. When Jim took on money laundering in Colombia.

youtube.com

From the Associated Press:

"Treasury Undersecretary James Johnson says the peso exchange system is one of the largest avenues for laundering the profits from drug sales.

'This system is perhaps the most dangerous and damaging form of money laundering that we have ever encountered.'

Johnson says household appliances and cigarettes are some of the products most commonly involved in these illegal trade schemes. And that major U-S corporations may be participants, either knowingly or unwittingly. And he says the long arm of the law will prosecute those companies that are found to be engaging partners in the drug laundering market.

'So that if there are those who are out there that are facilitating this, willingly facilitating this criminal enterprise, this criminal system, they should know that we will be vigilante and were intending to pursue this matter with a great deal of vigor.'"

5. When Jim fought to get 600,000 formerly incarcerated individuals back on the voter rolls after they were disenfranchised in Florida.

Via Giphy.com

In 2000, the Brennan Center, which Jim chaired, represented more than 600,000 Florida citizens in a class action suit and challenged Florida’s permanent disenfranchisement of people with felony convictions. Together with co-counsel, the Center argued that, because of its discriminatory intent and effect, Florida’s voting ban violated both the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amendments and the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

6. When Jim went after Ponzi schemer Allen Stanford's money in Antigua.

In 1999, Jim tried to stop sketchy banking transactions in Antigua because Allen Stanford and other banking officials were on the regulatory board in Antigua. In 2012, Stanford was convicted by a jury in a $7 billion Ponzi scheme.

Houston Chronicle, 7/16/00; New York Times, 6/14/12

7. When Jim's agents seized a helicopter from drug dealers.

From the Washington Post:

"Early this month, a $1.5 million Bell helicopter was tracked by Colombia-based U.S. Customs agents from here to Panama, where it was seized by local authorities acting at U.S. request. The helicopter, a seven-seat Bell 407, had been purchased in 1998 by a Colombian multimillionaire with laundered drug-smuggling money, according to Customs and the Justice Department.

U.S. authorities described the purchase as one example of a money-laundering scheme known as the black market peso exchange, which Colombia says turns an estimated $5 billion a year in ill-gotten U.S. currency into Colombian pesos through the purchase and illegal import of American products, often through neighboring third countries.

The black market peso exchange constitutes what James E. Johnson, undersecretary for enforcement at the Treasury Department, called "perhaps the most dangerous and damaging form of money laundering that we have ever encountered."

Washington Post, 8/29/00

8. When Jim founded New Jersey Communities Forward (NJCF) and helped New Jersey create one of the first police body camera policies in the country.

In 2014, Jim brought together members of the civil rights and law enforcement communities in a collaboration known as New Jersey Communities Forward – a project within the NJ Institute for Social Justice. Adopting a new approach, NJCF contributed heavily to the new policies on police worn body cameras, independent shooting reviews and implicit bias training.

9. When Jim testified to Congress in 1999 and threw then-Sen. Jeff Sessions the shade that all of us feel.

Jeff Sessions...wrong in 1999. Wrong now.

10. When Jim fought to desegregate Westchester County, NY.

In 2009, Jim was selected by a federal judge to oversee the settlement of an affordable housing conflict between the Department of U.S. Housing and Urban Development in Westchester County, NY. His task was to hold officials accountable for fulfilling the terms of the consent decree. He also developed new, collaborative ways for communities to understand and solve the problems of developing and marketing affordable housing.

11. When Jim ran to be the first African-American Governor of NJ against the political machine and promised to enact comprehensive ethics reform and end the War on Drugs.

Jim is running to be the Democratic nominee for Governor in New Jersey against a former Goldman Sachs executive that has spent $18 million to try and buy the election. Jim's been putting out innovative proposals like his ethics plan and his criminal justice plan. Read them here:

Ethics Plan

Justice for Jersey Plan

Now go vote on June 6th!