Kentucky Rep. Dan Johnson refused to resign and said an allegation that he sexually assaulted a teenager “has no merit” during a press conference this Monday morning at his Fern Creek church.
Johnson, who is a pastor, was responding to a report released Monday by the Kentucky Center for Investigative Reporting, which found allegations of arson and sexual assault against the state lawmaker. The report also called into question significant portions of Johnson’s resume.
The Bullitt County Republican rejected all the claims in the story.
“I think this is an assault on all real people. This is an absolute assault on real people. There are no perfect people.”
Johnson said the claims were motivated by NPR’s funders. The Kentucky Center for Investigative Reporting is part of WFPL, an NPR member station. Johnson said he plans to remain in office, and will still seek re-election in 2018.
Johnson, calls himself the “Pope,” was defiant in the press conference.
“I will tell you this, I’m not standing here to step down or resign or anything like that.”
The Republican Party of Kentucky, the House Republican Caucus, the state Democratic Party and House Democratic Caucus all asked for Johnson’s resignation Monday, hours after the report’s publication.
Here is a longer story from WFPL, where there is also a lengthy, multi-day report on an array of other allegations against Johnson.
