Danny Johnson [left], and his accuser Maranda Richmond [left]. The Republican state lawmaker committed suicide on Wednesday, two days after the rape accusation went viral

The widow of the Kentucky lawmaker who killed himself after he was accused of sexual assault has hit out again at the character of the reporter who brought the accusations to light.
The Kentucky Center for Investigation Reporting published a story on Monday detailing claims that Republican state representative Dan Johnson sexually assaulted 17-year-old Maranda Richmond in his basement on January 1, 2013.
Relate:
‘It’s is part of scheme to attack Republicans’! Kentucky pol Danny Johnson, accused of sexual assault refutes allegation – Cites Roy Moore

State congressman Dan Johnson allegedly sexually assaulted daughter’s friend in his basement – Rep Johnson infamously compared president Barack Obama and first lady, Michelle Obama, to monkeys
Two days later, Johnson, who is best known for a racist comment likening Barack and Michelle Obama to monkeys, shot and killed himself near a bridge in a secluded area outside Mount Washington called River Bottoms.
Speaking on the Today Show on Friday morning, his widow Rebecca Johnson said that her husband of 30 years was the victim of biased reporting.
‘I am confident if that little greasy reporter had not done what he did, my husband would be alive right now,’ Rebecca said.

Accused; Rep Danny Johnson addresses the issue from his church pulpit on Tuesday. A day later he’d killed himself

The 57-year-old, who was often called ‘pope,’ vehemently denied the allegations against him during a press conference on Tuesday.
‘This allegation concerning this lady, this young girl has absolutely no merit,’ he told reporters.

‘These are unfounded accusations totally. I don’t want to blast this girl; I have a lot of compassion for her. I’m very sorrowful that she’s in this dark place in her life.’
The chair of the state’s Republican party, though, called for Johnson’s resignation, and called the KCIR report ‘extensively sourced.’
Richmond said the married lawmaker groped her and stuck his tongue in her mouth, then put his hand down her pants and slipped it inside her vagina.
She said she begged him to stop, but Johnson kept telling her she would like it.
Eventually, he left and she slipped away early that morning before he woke up.
Richmond went to the police. Records show investigators with the Louisville Metro Police Department recorded a phone call between Johnson and Richmond’s father, Clifford, in which Johnson said he ‘couldn’t imagine doing that to Maranda.’
Police documents obtained by the Kentucky Center for Investigative Reporting show a detective closed the case because Richmond would not cooperate. Richmond denied this, saying she never once wanted to stop the investigation.
The article, titled ‘The Pope’s Long Con’, also detailed how Johnson exaggerated and lied about his resume. He claimed that he was involved in heroic activities on September 11, 2001, and that he served as a White House chaplain.

Early supporter of the Trump campaign, Danny Johnson [right], pictured with President Donald Trump in an undated photo

He was also indicted in the attempted arson of his car and was the suspect in the arson of his church, the report noted.
Addressing the issue from the pulpit in his church on Tuesday Johnson said he would not resign and that the allegations against him were ‘totally false’ and part of a nationwide strategy of defeating conservative Republicans.
He referenced Republican Alabama US Senate candidate Roy Moore, who faces accusations of sexual misconduct from multiple women.Moore lost the election for the seat left open by Jeff Sessions on Tuesday.
Officials with the KCIR said in a statement Friday that they were ‘deeply sad’ about Johnson’s  suicide, and that they were just attempting to ‘hold public officials accountable for their actions.’
‘As part of our process we reached out to Representative Johnson numerous times over the course of the seven-month investigation,’ Louisville Public Media President Michael Skoler said.

Rebecca Johnson [left] has denied all allegations  made by Maranda Richmond [right], who she described as a troubled teen she [Rebecca], tried to counsel albeit, unsuccessfully

‘He declined requests to talk about our findings.’
But speaking on the Today Show, the grieving widow called that reaction ‘bulls***.’
‘I’m going to be nice, but that’s bulls***,’ Rebecca said.
‘These guys do not represent our values, so how could they even be fair?’
She then again slammed the molestation accusation, echoing her husband’s comment that the allegations are ‘unfounded.’
Rebecca then choked up when bringing up her family’s future without her husband.
‘My children will not have their father, my grandchildren are not going to have their grandfather,’ she said through tears.

‘These guys [KCIR], do not represent our values, so how could they even be fair?’ – Their condolence  is ‘bulls***.’  ‘I’m going to be nice, but that’s bulls***’ 

Richmond [photo], claims that she had fallen asleep on the couch in Johnson’s basement after attending his family’s New Year’s Eve party when the alleged molestation took place. Officials with KCIR said the report came after a seven-month investigation during which they reached out to Johnson for comment

But speaking on the Today Show [photo], the grieving widow called the newspaper’s reaction to her husband’s death ‘bulls***.’ ‘I’m going to be nice, but that’s bulls***,’ Rebecca said. ‘These guys do not represent our values, so how could they even be fair?’

A young Rebecca with husband Danny Johnson. husband and wife debunked rape allegations just hours before his death by suicide

This isn’t the first time she has spoken out in the few days since her husband’s death.
On Thursday she announced she will run for his seat in the Kentucky legislature, saying he was pushed to suicide by ‘high-tech lynching mobs.’
She told the Associated Press that ‘Dan is gone, but the story of his life is far form over.
‘These high-tech lynchings based on lies and half-truths can’t be allowed to win the day.’

 First amendment fanatic:  Pastor Johnson’s church is known for its ‘gun choir,’ which features Johnson [center] and members of the congregation  holding guns while singing Amazing Grace

Earlier Thursday, a sheriff said an ominous Facebook post that Dan Johnson made at about 5pm Wednesday night is part of what prompted his family to report him missing.
In the post, he asked for people to take care of his wife and wrote that post-traumatic stress disorder ‘is a sickness that will take my life, I cannot handle it any longer. It has won this life, BUT HEAVEN IS MY HOME.’
He also wrote: ‘The accusations from NPR 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. I LOVE GOD and I LOVE MY WIFE, who is the best WIFE in the world, My Love Forever !
‘My Mom and Dad my FAMILY and all five of my kids and Nine grandchildren two in tummies and many more to come each of you or a total gift from GOD stay strong, REBECCA needs YOU.
Bullitt County Coroner Dave Billings said Johnson died of a single gunshot wound to the head. Police recovered a .40-caliber pistol next to Johnson’s body.
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.
Johnson reportedly, was in the main annonymous as a legislator until the investigative story broke.