Phone calls to Ben Goldberg are among the bizarre episodes recorded during Todd Johnson’s alleged assault on a Rittenhouse defense witness in Tucson, Arizona on December 8, 2021.
In one call, Goldberg says he is on the phone with Johnson, and that Johnson is investigating the Rittenhouse civil case. Goldberg hangs up abruptly after the witness says she needs to talk to him.
Johnson calls him back. The witness asks Goldberg to make note of her name, the fact that she is a Rittenhouse witness, and that she’s in Johnson’s hotel room.
She tells Goldberg that Johnson thinks she’s a federal agent. She asks: “Do you understand that?” He says he understands. Soon after, he hangs up again.
Later, the woman told a journalist that she was trying to appeal to Goldberg for help, thinking he might have been somewhere in the hotel.
Who is Ben Goldberg? While the recording suggests that he could be Todd Johnson’s lawyer, Goldberg is chairperson of the Long Beach Area Republicans. Photos on Goldberg’s social media suggest that he and Johnson have known each other for years. Goldberg is accustomed, perhaps, to hearing about sordid hotel-room scenes involving his infamous pal.
Goldberg, like Johnson, has friends in high places. On March 1, 2022, Long Beach Area Republicans hosted a “Law & Order” event featuring guest speaker L.A. County Sheriff Alex Villanueva.
Villanueva was elected by liberal-leaning Los Angeles voters who thought he would reform a troubled department. But he came under fire for denying the existence of criminal gangs within the sheriff’s department, and is accused of dedicating a team of investigators to attack his political opponents. Villanueva has thrown his arms around right-wing voters as he seeks re-election. Goldberg posted a photo of himself alongside the embattled sheriff.
Who is Ben Goldberg? A friend of LEOs who are beyond the law, it seems.
It’s a sad day in America when a character assassination can be produced with half truths and limited facts. Todd Johnson served the citizens of LB as an officer Gang Detective and finally Homicide Detective for over two decades. He saw some of the worst criminal activity and helped to solve hundreds of murder and gang violence cases. He has retired, is a private citizen who raised 3 children, who are all accomplished and educated citizens as well. He’s been married to his wife for 30 years and this slanderous article is a feeble attempt to discredit him and his accomplishments attained with the Rittenhouse Case and many others since retiring as payback for helping to protect these citizens lives. The group responsible for this website and article must be anti 2nd Amendment and Pro ANTIFA and BLM and therefore hate anyone who doesn’t believe what they believe is best for America. It’s a sad day when a man who did so much for his community, becomes a political casualty of the alt left socialists.
Hi Ben. Thanks for commenting. Is it normal behavior for Johnson to call you when he has a woman in his hotel room at night? He called you twice, wanting you to talk to her. He wanted you to think she was a federal agent. Knowing Johnson’s stated distaste for federal agents, did this alarm you?
Did Johnson or the woman sound sober to you? Were you at all worried that something bad might be happening? Please offer more facts and context to explain why these phone calls were no big deal to you.
Todd Johnson is a good friend and we speak on a regular basis. Todd is very good at determining a potential witnesses reliability and truthfulness and uses creative tactics to solicit the truth. The woman sounded out of sorts and so I hung up with no concern of consequences.
Thank you, Ben. As a good friend, have you EVER known Johnson to consume alcohol while carrying a concealed weapon? As someone who truly knows the man, have you EVER known Johnson to consume five or more drinks on a single occasion?