Brendan Johnson

Brendan Johnson
United States Attorney for the District of South Dakota
In office October 15, 2009 – March 13, 2015
Preceded by	Marty Jackley
Succeeded by	Randy Seiler
Personal details
Born	(1975-06-24) June 24, 1975 Vermillion, South Dakota, U.S.
Political party	Democratic
Relations	Tim Johnson (father)
Alma mater	University of South Dakota University of Virginia

Brendan Van Johnson (born June 24, 1975) is the former United States Attorney for the District of South Dakota. He is now a partner in the Business Litigation Group at Robins Kaplan LLP.

Early life and education

Johnson is the second son of United States Senator Tim Johnson and Barb Johnson née Brooks. Born in Vermillion, South Dakota, he moved with his family to Washington, D.C. after his father was elected to Congress in 1986. In high school he received all district honors in football and excelled as a wrestler. He later returned to Vermillion to attend the University of South Dakota where he was selected for the Harry S. Truman Scholarship. Brendan went on to attend the University of Virginia School of Law where he was president of the Student Bar Association and a member of the Raven Honor Society.

Early career

Johnson moved to Hill City, South Dakota, after graduating from law school to serve as a law clerk to South Dakota Chief Federal Judge Karen Schreier. He later moved to Minnehaha County, South Dakota and became a prosecutor for that county. In this capacity he prosecuted a number of cases, including the case of an individual who received two life sentences without parole and 145 years in state prison for the attempted murders of two Sioux Falls Police Officers.^[1] Johnson later became a partner in the law firm known as Johnson, Heidepriem, Janklow, Abdallah and Johnson.^[2]

Appointment to U.S. Attorney

Johnson was nominated by President Barack Obama to be the 40th United States Attorney for the District of South Dakota and was unanimously confirmed by the United States Senate on October 15, 2009.^[3] His nomination to be United States Attorney was supported by several prominent Republicans, including former Governor Bill Janklow, former State Attorney General Larry Long, former Sioux Falls Mayor Dave Munson, and a variety of state and local law enforcement leaders.^[4]

Efforts as U.S. Attorney

In 2009, the Attorney General of the United States selected Johnson to serve as chairman of the Native American Issues Subcommittee. Two years later the Attorney General selected Johnson to serve on the Attorney General’s Advisory Committee. Johnson is a member of the Terrorism and National Security Subcommittee.

As South Dakota’s chief federal law enforcement officer, Johnson's office prosecuted several high-profile child exploitation cases, including the case of an individual who received a life sentence for the human trafficking of minors. He also convened the first statewide Tribal Listening Session, a statewide civil rights conference, and has been an outspoken advocate on violence against women issues.

Native American Issues

Johnson increased his office's focus on Native American issues. He worked the night shift with tribal police officers, conducted leadership training for Native American youth, and implemented a new statewide community based prosecution strategy.^[5] Johnson's focus resulted in an increase in prosecutions and a decrease in cases declinations. Some of his office's high-profile prosecutions include a 17-person drug conspiracy in Pine Ridge^[6] and Operation Prairie Thunder on the Standing Rock Reservation which resulted in drug charges against 17 individuals.

Johnson and his counterpart in North Dakota, former U.S. Attorney Tim Purdon, were known as the “Dakota Boys” within the Justice Department and together they focused on improving public safety in tribal communities across the country. Reference: WA Post Article. Richard Hartunian, the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of New York, said “the efforts of the Dakota Boys were a turning point in U.S.-Tribal relations.” “Brendan and Tim were the right leaders at the right time to carry out the vision of President Obama and Attorney General Holder to improve public safety in Indian Country,” Hartunian said. Purdon and Johnson joined the law firm of Robins and Kaplan together and now work together on behalf of tribes in private practice. WA Post Article.^[7]

Human Trafficking

As United States Attorney, Johnson oversaw the prosecution of more than 25 human trafficking cases in five years, including three life-sentences and the federal prosecution of numerous men who attempted to purchase sex from trafficking victims. He pursued the case of United States v. Jungers through the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals, securing the critical decision that buyers of sex acts with minors are committing crimes of sex trafficking under the federal law, upping the risk of such activity by those who drive the sex trafficking markets. In 2014, Johnson received Shared Hope International’s Pathbreaker Award for determined leadership in combatting child sex trafficking: “Brendan Johnson is a force of determination, initiative and skill that should leave buyers terrified to purchase sex with a minor in South Dakota,” Shared Hope International President and Founder Linda Smith said. “By creating a threshold for buyer accountability, he sets a national precedent that, if applied, will make significant strides in reducing tolerance for purchasing sex with a minor.” ^[8]

Resignation from the Department of Justice

On March 13, 2015, Johnson stepped down as U.S. Attorney for the District of South Dakota. Johnson is among the longest-serving U.S. Attorneys in South Dakota history. Attorney General Eric Holder stated, "During Brendan Johnson's tenure as United States Attorney for South Dakota, he has distinguished himself as an exemplary leader, a passionate advocate for his fellow citizens, and an extraordinarily dedicated public servant. As a lawyer and as a leader, Brendan has set a standard of excellence that will not soon be surpassed. Particularly with regard to public safety challenges on tribal lands, he has served as a key advisor to senior Justice Department officials—including me. As past Chair of the Native American Issues Subcommittee, he is not only a respected champion for tribal justice in his own right, but a critical national leader—offering sound guidance, wise counsel, and candid advice on a host of pressing issues. In standing against violent crime, fraud, drug trafficking, violence against women, and countless other threats, Brendan's fierce and determined service, on behalf of the people of South Dakota, has been without equal. Although he will be greatly missed, his many contributions will endure. I thank him for his outstanding service—to South Dakota, and to our nation—and wish him all the best as he takes on new challenges and opportunities."^[9]

Personal life

Brendan Johnson is married to Dr. Jana Johnson née Beddow who graduated from Mayo Medical School and was the Chief Resident of the Harvard Dermatology program.^[10] They have four children, daughter Trualem and sons Peneal, Sutton, and Cooper. The two eldest, Trualem and Peneal, were adopted from Ethiopia at the ages of 10 and 8 respectively.^[11]

References

External links