Developing: Pakistani Plane Escorted by UK Fighter Jets — 2 Men Arrested

Listen to the Buck Sexton Show Live on TheBlaze Radio

Crime

Indicted Businessman Names Harry Reid as Alleged Recipient of Massive Bribe

Jan. 12, 2013 8:02pm Erica Ritz

Utah Businessman Jeremy Johnson Claims He Bribed Harry Reid to Make Federal Investigation Disappear

WASHINGTON, DC – JANUARY 04: Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) rubs his eyes during the counting of the Electorial College votes from the 50 states in the House of Representatives chamber at the U.S. Captiol January 4, 2013 in Washington, DC. (Photo: Getty Images)

A Utah businessman is rocking both state and national politics after claiming Utah Attorney General John Swallow helped him broker a deal with Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid to make a federal investigation into his company quietly disappear, the Salt Lake Tribune reports.

Jeremy Johnson was allegedly told that the price would be $600,000, and claims to have made an initial payment of $250,000 when he was slapped with a federal lawsuit. Now he says he wants his money back.

The Salt Lake Tribune points out that Johnson has no way of knowing whether the funds actually made it to Reid, even if he did make a massive payment to Reid’s alleged intermediary.

The Salt Lake Tribune continues, explaining how the bribe supposedly came to be in 2010:

At the time, Johnson was largely known in Utah as a wealthy philanthropist who spent hundreds of thousands of dollars to ferry supplies into Haiti after the devastating 2010 earthquake.

[...]

Then, with the FTC investigation continuing, Johnson said Swallow suggested Reid could make problems with regulators go away — for a price.

“I said, ‘OK, what do I need to do?’ He’s like, ‘OK, it costs money,’ ” Johnson said, who claimed Swallow was adamant he make a deal.

“I think he told me, ‘Richard Rawle has a connection with Harry Reid,’ ” Johnson said.

He said Swallow at first wanted $2 million to enlist Reid’s help. But [his company] I Works was no longer profitable and he did not have the money, Johnson said, so they eventually agreed on $300,000 upfront and $300,000 later.

Swallow put Johnson in contact with Rawle, whose company has operations in Nevada…

Rawle, who died of cancer last month, had contributed to Reid’s 2010 re-election bid and later bragged to Johnson that the Nevada Democrat helped him delay new federal payday-loan regulations, Johnson said.

On Sept. 29, 2010, Swallow sent an email to Johnson with the subject line “Mtg. with Harry Reid’s contact.”

“Richard [Rawle] is traveling to LV tomorrow and will be able to contact this person, who he has a very good relationship with. He needs a brief narrative of what is going on and what you want to happen. I don’t know the cost, but it probably won’t be cheap.”

On Oct. 7, Johnson emailed Rawle, insisting there was “rock solid proof” the FTC allegations against I Works were false. “We will do whatever it take[s] to get Senator Reid on our side and hopefully you can help make it happen. Let me know.”

Johnson spent 96 days in jail and has released a number of emails and statements seemingly corroborating parts of his story. However, Swallow insists that Johnson is making “false and defamatory accusations” and that any role he may have played was merely for lobbying purposes.

“There’s nothing wrong with that,” Swallow stated. “As long as I’m not interfering with a government agency as a government official, there’s nothing wrong with me being involved.”

But Johnson told a judge he’s felt guilty about the situation from the start: “The truth is the worst thing I think I’ve done was I paid money knowing it was going to influence Harry Reid…So I’ve felt all along that I’ve committed bribery of some sort there.”

Though the connection to Reid remains unverified, some are remembering how Reid claimed on the Senate floor that Mitt Romney hadn’t paid his taxes for ten years based on far less evidence.

A Las Vegas Review-Journal blog jokes about how Reid might address the situation, if looking in from the outside:

I have a “source” that says that Harry Reid takes bribes all the time. In fact, if you want anything done out of his office, you must come with a suitcase of cash just to get an audience. That’s how he’s gotten so rich on a senator’s salary. He stashes his money in an offshore bank account. And, as a sidebar for Salt Lake church execs, he hasn’t tithed on that bribe money.

Senator Harry Reid’s office has declined to comment.

Click here to read the entire Salt Lake Tribune article.

This post has been updated.

–

In CONTROL, Glenn Beck presents a passionate, fact-based case for guns that reveals why gun control isn’t really about controlling guns at all; it’s about controlling us. Find out more HERE.

Back to The Blaze »

Comments (324)

SamIamTwo
Posted on January 13, 2013 at 8:23am
He has been known as a corrupt Senator for many years. He’ll get away with it…Obama will censor the folks in the name of national security (jailed) and the MSMs won’t say a blood word.

I sincerely hope I am wrong but based on what is going on, I have a good 80% chance of being right. LMAO sort of.

Report this comment
Log in to Reply Reply
JohnOttersaid
Posted on January 13, 2013 at 8:09am
So I guess the only thing left to do is for Obama to issue an executive order to block the investigation.

Report this comment
Log in to Reply Reply
lgccac
Posted on January 13, 2013 at 8:00am
Reid takes a bribe. So what else is new? Yawn.

Nothing will be done about it under the Obama regime.

Report this comment
Log in to Reply Reply
fande3rls
Posted on January 13, 2013 at 7:49am
I Hope HE is INDICTED , CONVICTED JAILED and let him get to know Bubba the inmate

Report this comment
Log in to Reply Reply
Anna Fallaxis
Posted on January 13, 2013 at 7:44am
Reid is one of the most despicable politicians that ever lived. He reminds me of the Nevada senator in Godfather II. Glenn, please hurry and build your town so we can all get away from these monsters. Anyone who thinks there is hope for justice in this case must still believe in the Easter Bunny. America is over, we have been invaded, corrupted, indoctrinated, destroyed, colonized by Islamic terrorists and defeated. We all need to just pick a section of the country, build a big wall around it, and secede to the Libertarian States of America. Obama’s second term will be absolutely tragic. I’ve been so depressed since November I can barely function.

Report this comment
Log in to Reply Reply
jakartaman
Posted on January 13, 2013 at 7:38am
The Revolution is coming – be armed and be prepared.
If you do not think this over – reaching tyrannical corrupt bloated Federal government needs and will be taken down – then you are part of the problem!

Report this comment
Log in to Reply Reply
jewishbiker
Posted on January 13, 2013 at 6:48am
Bush did it!

Report this comment
Log in to Reply Reply
BehindBlueEyes
Posted on January 13, 2013 at 6:40am
Every dog has his day. This might be Harry’s but to think there will be a fair investigation and that he will be prosecuted if possible is remote. Crooks like Harry and the Chi-town crowd always have a buffer of at least a middleman so that they can claim they know nothing about it.

Report this comment
Log in to Reply Reply
believe05
Posted on January 13, 2013 at 6:16am
We do need to push this as much as possible. I just hope key figures with damaging info do not end up dead.

Report this comment
Log in to Reply Reply
Dushman Kush
Posted on January 13, 2013 at 6:13am
Comrade Harry has Amerika by the short hairs. Impotent mutterings by peasants will not change Fact.

Report this comment
Log in to ReplyReply
- Cymry
  Posted on January 13, 2013 at 8:30pm
  dush, the first thing you’ll do when the crap hits the fan is pee yourself. the second thing you’ll do is run back to your mother’s basement and get under the covers. the third thing you’ll do is beg for mercy when you are declared a traitor. there won’t be a fourth event.
  
  Report this comment
miller721108
Posted on January 13, 2013 at 5:13am
Add your comments

Report this comment
Log in to Reply Reply
Joel Knows
Posted on January 13, 2013 at 4:57am
Seems Dingy Harry is looking a little more dingy these days. If Reid is taking money like that you have to wonder about Grandma Botox Nancy. But then again, I’d lay odds on most of our elected officials in Washington are cut from the same cloth.
As far as this Johnson guy, seems he’s not to bright when it comes to law. That $250,000 could have been better spent or at least more honestly wasted on lawyers. At least with an attorney it’s called Fee for Services not a bribe, but then again it sounded like he’s an Obomination supporter anyway.

Report this comment
Log in to Reply Reply
Obamujahadeen
Posted on January 13, 2013 at 4:34am
This should come as no surprise to any of you out there, this guy is a joke. They even used him as the template for the crooked senator played Dick Smothers in Casino 20 years ago!! He and so many of these people should SO be in jail today, hopefully his turn is coming along with O and the rest . Slick and the Sk%nk sure got away with the farm and still going…

Report this comment
Log in to Reply Reply
ARMED AND READY
Posted on January 13, 2013 at 4:31am
Imagine that!

Report this comment
Log in to Reply Reply
ScottyRawdy
Posted on January 13, 2013 at 3:45am
This is the greatest belated christmas gift EVER!!! God… I should have never doubted your master plan !!!!! One down, several to go. Once people getta taste of obamacare …There gonna run back to understanding that america is NOT a democracy….. It’s an American Republic that governs itself by we the people ….
We WILL make mistakes… We WILL sometimes see the golden paved path of the devil and take that easier way to travel, but eventually we get back onto the gritty dirt road of the lord that keeps us humble & builds us stronger…And leads to a wonderful place at the end.
Now, i know we’ve had a tough road leading to this amazing day….A road that looked to dangerous & broke our spirits…But i say to you my brothers & sisters………..This day is the beginning. ….The beginning of the end of our sorrow……The beginning of healing our differences …….The start of getting america back on the path in which our fore fathers intended through divine providence !!!
I honestly had almost given up hope….I’m truly sorry lord… I thought too many of your flock had strayed too far……. Now I understand that it was all part of bringing those of us that spent too long on that golden path, back on the road of righteousness !!
I may seem to be overly dramatic……… Well, my family. ….When the gift of knowledge & understanding is accepted, it tends to poor out of you like beaver cleavers dad !!!
May the Lord bless us all !!!!! In Jesus’ name , AMEN!!!!!

Report this comment
Log in to Reply Reply
thereyougoagain
Posted on January 13, 2013 at 3:24am
How shocking!!!!!!!!! What’s next, election fraud?

Report this comment
Log in to Reply Reply
Ajohn
Posted on January 13, 2013 at 2:48am
Swallow will swing, Johnson will swing, Harry will walk away…This will go absolutely nowhere with Harry Reid. He is too slick for this to stick.

Report this comment
Log in to Reply Reply
hotmonkeylovejunkie
Posted on January 13, 2013 at 1:20am
exactly how a pos like this gets re-elected. when will America learn

Report this comment
Log in to Reply Reply
coyote1hell
Posted on January 13, 2013 at 1:15am
Harry-the-mexican-illegals-got me relected, said uhhhh, I have to change my Depends….that’s all

Report this comment
Log in to Reply Reply
mtsnj
Posted on January 13, 2013 at 1:02am
Human nature can’t take the stress of not being corrupted by this system..that’s why it’s essential to have term limits for congress.

Report this comment
Log in to Reply Reply
Berbel73
Posted on January 13, 2013 at 12:37am
This Jeremy Johnson should have recorded every single word. If he felt that he was being unfairly singled out by the FTC, and was truely not at fault then he should have covered his own **** and got recordings of the conversations. Without that these accusations will go no where.

Report this comment
Log in to Reply Reply
Diane TX
Posted on January 13, 2013 at 12:33am
I say let Harry Reid prove that he didn’t take that bribe.

(Don’t you agree Mr. Romney?)

Report this comment
Log in to Reply Reply
pondfrog
Posted on January 13, 2013 at 12:22am
Once harry is indicted can we rescind all he’s done to the country?

Report this comment
Log in to Reply Reply
Voice1percent
Posted on January 12, 2013 at 11:54pm
Righteous Harry……OOPS looks like yer pants are down and you’re er ah um “cough” exposed….!

Report this comment
Log in to Reply Reply
blondenblueeyed
Posted on January 12, 2013 at 11:48pm
So this is NEWS? Where’s the big investigation on Dirty Harry’s other Las Vegas dealings? Johnson is suffering from what we refer to as the ‘crab in the bucket’ syndrome. He’s going down and he’s taking anyone and everyone he’s ever talked to with him. Surprise, surprise. During Pres Clinton’s era these type of guys wound up dead from suicide…of course! Yeah Right!

Report this comment
Log in to Reply Reply

It appears that you have Javascript Disabled. Please enable Javascript in your browser preferences for a better user experience on TheBlaze. You can not comment without Javascript enabled.