Bolley Johnson


Bolley L. "Bo" Johnson is an American politician from the state of Florida. A member of the Democratic Party, Johnson was a member of the Florida House of Representatives, and served as the Speaker of the Florida House of Representatives.

Early life

Johnson is from Milton, Florida. His father and grandfather served as county commissioners for Santa Rosa County, Florida. Johnson graduated from Milton High School, and became the first member of his family to attend college. He received his Bachelor's degree from Florida State University.

Career

Johnson volunteered for Mallory Horne when Horne served as the president of the Florida Senate. At the age of 22, Johnson met Lawton Chiles, then a member of the United States Senate, who hired him as a legislative aide in 1973.
Johnson was elected to the Florida House of Representatives, representing the first district, in 1978. He became the Speaker of the Florida House of Representatives in 1992.
He decided not to run for reelection to the Florida House in 1994. He opted not to run for the United States House of Representatives. After leaving politics, Johnson moved to Pensacola, Florida, where he worked as a real estate broker.

Personal

Johnson and his wife, Judi, have a daughter. A niece also lived with them as a child.
In 1999, Johnson and his wife were convicted of tax evasion, for failing to report income earned from consulting with Bally Casino Holdings Inc. He was sentenced to two years in prison, while Judi was sentenced to 15 months. They began serving their sentences on August 30. Johnson is a Methodist.