Guiltless Pleasures: Administration Settles With Developer Who Allegedly Bulldozes Huge Area of Land, Destroys Archealoglical Sites, and Redirects River in Arizona Without An Admission of Guilt

For some environmentalists, there are few people as vile as Scottsdale-based developer George H. Johnson and his associates. Johnson was accused of bulldozing, filling and diverting a 5-mile stretch of the Santa Cruz River and its tributaries. As Joe Biden would say, “let me repeat that” 5 MILES. While the government reached a settlement with a $1.25 million penalty, Johnson and his contractor will not have to admit guilt and will not face any possible criminal charge.

During the administration of Bush Sr., I authored a study of the Environmental Crimes Section of the Justice Department that detailed a pattern of plea agreements and settlements used to scuttle criminal investigations against companies. This settlement, while civil, raises similar concerns.

The $1.25 million penalty against George H. Johnson and his associates is one of the highest in history, but the damage here is breathtaking. Johnson and his partners reached a record $12.1 million settlement with the state last year.

Johnson International Inc. and General Hunt Properties Inc. – as well as contractor 3-F Contracting Inc., was accused of having razed and filled the area along the lower Santa Cruz and the Los Robles Wash and clearing land for a development in Pinal County near Red Rock. They never got the permit required for such work and altered the course of the Santa Cruz. They are accused of bulldozing state-trust land, demolishing Hohokam archaeological sites and destroying saguaros and other native vegetation.

Yet, they will now just write a check and enjoy the results of the unlawful work. Their counsel has emphasized that they did not have to admit any guilt.

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