Dan Johnson

Overview

Dan Johnson was a Kentucky Republican state legislator and pastor. In December 2017, the Kentucky Center for Investigative Reporting published allegations that Johnson had sexually assaulted a 17-year…

Description

Dan Johnson was a Kentucky Republican state legislator and pastor. In December 2017, the Kentucky Center for Investigative Reporting published allegations that Johnson had sexually assaulted a 17-year-old member of his church on New Year’s Eve 2012. According to victim Maranda Richmond, Johnson drunkenly sexually assaulted her in his basement. She reported the incident to Louisville Metro Police in April 2013, and they opened an investigation but closed it without charges. When the investigative report was published, Johnson initially denied the allegations on Tuesday, calling them ‘totally false’ and refusing to resign. On December 13, 2017—days later—Johnson drove onto a bridge in rural Mount Washington, parked his vehicle, and shot himself in the head. He was 57 years old. Johnson had gained national notoriety during his 2016 election campaign for posting racist images of President Barack Obama and his family.