LOUISVILLE — Rep. Dan Johnson died by "a probable suicide" Wednesday night, just two days after allegations surfaced that he had sexually abused a teenage girl at the church where he was a pastor.
Bullitt County Coroner David Billings said Johnson was found with a single gunshot wound to the head at Greenwell Ford Road in Mount Washington. The spot is called the River Bottoms.
House Speaker Pro Tem David Osborne, R-Prospect, said in a telephone interview Wednesday night that he had received confirmation of Johnson’s death.
"It is with great sadness that we have received confirmed reports of the passing of Rep. Dan Johnson this evening. Please keep his family in your prayers during this incredibly difficult time."
Johnson was accused by a woman of molesting her when she was 17 after a New Year’s party in 2012, according to a wide-ranging report published Monday by the Kentucky Center for Investigative Reporting.
That was followed by calls for Johnson's resignation from both Republican and Democratic leaders. But at a press conference Tuesday morning, Johnson said that he wouldn't step down.
Johnson said his wife and daughters were close to the young woman. He said the woman, who is now 21, was a church member upset about how he spoke to the girls that night.
"I don't want to blast this girl, I have a lot of compassion for her," he said. "I'm very sorrowful that she's in this dark place in her life."
Around 6 p.m. ET Wednesday, Johnson wrote on Facebook that the allegations were false and sent a farewell to his church followers and family.
"The accusations from NPR are false GOD and only GOD knows the truth. Nothing is the way they make it out to be ... GOD LOVES ALL PEOPLE NO MATTER WHAT," Johnson wrote.
Johnson's Facebook post was taken down later Wednesday evening.
Johnson was elected to the state legislature in 2016, part of a wave of Republican victories that gave the GOP control of the Kentucky House of Representatives for the first time in nearly 100 years. He won his election despite Republican leaders urging him to drop out of the race after local media reported on some of his Facebook posts comparing Barack and Michelle Obama to monkeys.
The pastor of Heart of Fire church in Louisville, Johnson sponsored a number of bills having to do with religious liberty and teaching the Bible in public schools. But he was mostly out of the spotlight until Monday, when the Kentucky Center for Investigative Reporting published an account from a woman saying Johnson sexually assaulted her in the basement of his home.
At the time, the woman told police, who investigated the incident but closed the case and did not file charges.
On Tuesday, Johnson held a news conference in the pulpit of his church, which he began by leading friends and family in singing a portion of the Christmas carol O Come All Ye Faithful. He said the allegations against him were “totally false” and said they were part of a nationwide strategy of defeating conservative Republicans. He referenced Republican Alabama U.S. Senate candidate Roy Moore, who faces accusations of sexual misconduct from multiple women.
Michael Skoler, president of Louisville Public Media, which owns the Kentucky Center for Investigative Reporting, said everyone at the organization is “deeply sad.”
“Our aim, as always, is to provide the public with fact-based, unbiased reporting and hold public officials accountable for their actions,” Skoler said. “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.”
The sexual assault accusations against Johnson were revealed as a sexual harassment scandal involving four other Republican lawmakers was unfolding at the state Capitol. Former Republican House Speaker Jeff Hoover resigned his leadership position after acknowledging he secretly settled a sexual harassment claim with a member of his staff. Three other lawmakers were involved in the settlement, and all lost their committee chairmanships
Gov. Matt Bevin expressed his condolences to Johnson's family.
"Saddened to hear of tonight's death of KY Representative Dan Johnson," Bevin tweeted. "My heart breaks for his family tonight ... These are heavy days in Frankfort and in America ... May God indeed shed His grace on us all ... We sure need it."
U.S. Sen. Rand Paul also tweeted his support.
"Just terrible news from Kentucky tonight on the passing of Rep. Dan Johnson," Paul tweeted. "I cannot imagine his pain or the heartbreak his family is dealing with tonight. Kelley and I pray for his loved ones."
Contributing: The Associated Press.
