Lawmaker dies in apparent suicide, molested a child....

Following molestation allegations, Kentucky lawmaker dies in apparent suicide

By AKELA LACY

A Kentucky lawmaker died of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound on Wednesday evening after facing allegations that he molested a 17-year-old girl in 2012.

Dan Johnson, a Republican state representative, shot himself on the Greenwell Ford Road bridge in Mt. Washington, Kentucky, according to the Bullitt County coroner. The apparent suicide came after his Republican colleagues called for him to step down following reports that he assaulted a young woman on New Year’s Eve of 2012.

The Kentucky Center for Investigative Reporting on Monday released a seven-months-long investigation outlining claims by Maranda Richmond that Johnson assaulted her in the basement of his home.

According to local media, Richmond reported the incident to police in 2013. But investigators closed the case without filing charges. Since the reporting by KyCIR, the case has been reopened.

Michael Skoler, the president of Louisville Public Media, which formed KyCIR in 2013, released a statement Wednesday in response to Johnson’s death.

“We grieve for his family, friends, church community and constituents,” Skoler wrote. “Our aim, as always, is to provide the public with fact-based, unbiased reporting and hold public officials accountable for their actions. As part of our process, we reached out to Representative Johnson numerous times over the course of a seven-month investigation. He declined requests to talk about our findings.”

Johnson denied the sexual assault allegations in a Tuesday press conference, and again on Wednesday in a Facebook post just hours before he took his life.

“The accusations … are false GOD and only GOD knows the truth, nothing is the way they make it out to be. AMERICA will not survive this type of judge and jury fake news. Conservatives take a stand,” the post read. “9-11-2001 NYC/WTC, PTSD 24/7 16 years is a sickness that will take my life, I cannot handle it any longer. IT Has Won This Life . BUT HEAVEN IS MY HOME. “

Monday was the second time state party leaders asked Johnson to step aside — the first came before he was elected in 2016. Johnson was urged by his would-be colleagues to drop out of the race in October of 2016 following local media reports about “reprehensible and racists posts” on his Facebook page. In one post, Johnson appears with friends wearing clothes displaying the Confederate flag. Other posts included images calling Islam a hate group, and depicting former President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama as orangutans.

Kentucky Gov. Matt Bevin, along with many other state politicians, have posted their condolences on Twitter.

“These are heavy days in Frankfort and in America...May God indeed shed His grace on us all...We sure need it…” Bevin wrote.

Jeff Hoover, who resigned in November as Kentucky speaker of the House following allegations of sexual harassment, also tweeted following the news of Johnson's death.

"In America, those accused of wrongdoing are presumed innocent until proven guilty," he wrote. "Persons posting accusations on social media as truth, and those who are self righteous and indignant over mere accusations must do better. Personal attacks don’t have to be part of politics."