Waco Prosecutor Guily of Concealing Evidence

Waco Prosecutor Guily of Concealing Evidence

NewsMax.com
Thursday, Feb. 8, 2001

A former assistant U.S. attorney, who helped prosecute the Branch Davidians surviving the holocaust that incinerated over 80 members of the Waco religious community, pleaded guilty to concealing evidence in a lawsuit filed by some of the defendants.

William Johnston pleaded guilty to a single count of misprision of a felony in return for having other charges dismissed, special prosecutor John Danforth told Reuters news agency.

Johnston admitted that he had withheld evidence concerning the use of incendiary tear gas canisters from the defendants during the lawsuit and later lied to the attorney general about the canisters.

Johnston also admitted he tore a key page concerning the canisters from his notes before turning them over to the Davidians’ attorneys, who were suing the government. The notes related to a 1993 discussion about the use of tear gas. The Davidians’ suit was later dismissed.

Johnston only conceded he removed the page of notes after an analysis of the next page revealed indentations detailing the information. He also admitted lying to Danforth's investigators and to a grand jury investigating the case.

In a report on the government's conduct during the siege, Danforth concluded that the incendiary tear gas canisters fired by government agents bounced harmlessly away from the compound and had nothing to do with starting the fire that ripped through the wooden structure and incinerated Branch Davidian leader David Koresh and 80 of his followers.

According to the report the fire was deliberately set by Koresh’s followers when government tanks began to break through the compound walls.

The government agents’ use of the incendiary military tear gas canisters, however, was concealed from Attorney General Janet Reno when she testified before Congress about the siege.

"The temptation of government employees to conceal mistakes is understandable," Danforth said in a statement issued to the media. "Our political culture tolerates no missteps. Errors in judgement can ruin careers, destroy reputations and subject government employees to public disgrace,'' he said, adding that "anything less than complete candor cannot be the response of those who represent the U.S. government.''

Danforth recommended that Johnson, who faced a four-year jail term, be put on probation instead and that he serve no time in prison. The conclusion of Johnston’s case, Danforth said, marks the end of his service as a special counsel.

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