| ► Ex-Judge Karen Johnson of Dallas; moron; scofflaw, ethically deprived |
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Ex-Judge Karen Johnson of Dallas; moron; scofflaw, ethically deprived
From 2000 through 2008, Judge Karen Johnson was a District Judge on the 95th District Court in Dallas.
Judge Karen Johnson – Quintessential Gift Giver
While on the bench in Dallas, Judge Karen Johnson found it acceptable to spend thousands in campaign funds to lavish court employees with cash gifts, bonuses and/or to wine and dine them in and/or around Dallas.
The Texas Ethics Laws allows for a public official to expend campaign funds to purchase a reasonably priced gift for an employee, with the emphasis on “reasonably priced.”
Apparently, Judge Karen Johnson is intellectually incapable of understanding the term “reasonably priced.” Of course Judge Karen Johnson isn’t concerned with the costs of gifts/bonuses, etc. since she didn’t spend one single dime of her own money to so act.
Below are a few examples of Judge Karen Johnson lavishing gifts on court employees.
In addition to the above gifts compliments of Judge Karen Johnson’s unwitting contributors, below are several more examples of her so-called largess.
In addition to showering court reporter (court employee) Sharyl Zeno with a $1,100 final gift, Judge Karen Johnson also used $643.68 in campaign funds to reimburse Ms. Zeno for costs to attend a court reporter seminar in mid-2008 as set forth below.
I cannot imagine that his use of campaign funds by Judge Karen Johnson could possibly be legitimate. Texas law limits the use of campaign funds to pay for legitimate public official duties and/or campaign purposes. Whether court reporter Zeno did or did not attend a seminar has absolutely nothing to do with Judge Karen Johnson’s official judicial duties. Ms. Zeno was a county employee, therefore, if the powers-to-be in Dallas County felt that Ms. Zeno should have attended this seminar, then they would have approved it and paid for it.
Judge Karen Johnson and Jones Day Law Firm
After leaving the bench in Dallas, Judge Karen Johnson found employment with Jones Day. In January 2009, Jones Day issued a News Announcement, wherein it quoted Judge Karen Johnson in part as saying:
The News release then quoted partner-in-charge George Manning at Jones Day as saying:
I wonder if partner-in-charge George Manning will permit Judge Karen Johnson to play fast and loose with funds belonging to Jones Day as she did with the money contributed to her campaigns.
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