Kentucky lawmaker accused of sexual assault
FRANKFORT, Ky. — A Republican Kentucky lawmaker known for his inflammatory social media posts comparing President Barack Obama and his wife to monkeys has been accused of sexual assault by a woman who attended his church. Both Republican and Democratic leaders on Monday called for Dan Johnson to resign.
The Kentucky Center for Investigative Reporting quotes Maranda Richmond as saying that Johnson assaulted her in the basement of his house in the early morning hours of Jan. 1, 2013.
Police records obtained by the news organization show Richmond told them about the assault in 2013. But investigators closed the case and did not file charges. Johnson was elected to the state legislature in 2016. Neither Johnson nor police department officials returned calls from The Associated Press.
Reaction was swift from the leaders of the state’s two major political parties, who said Johnson should resign immediately. David Osborne, acting speaker of the Kentucky House of Representatives, said the report was “compelling and deeply troubling.”