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WEBVTT BUT TODAY, JOHNSON WAS DEFIANT.>> THIS ALLEGATION CONCERNINGTHIS LADY, THIS YOUNG GIRL,ABSOLUTELY HAS NO MERIT.MARK: REPRESENTATIVE DAN JOHNSONFIRED BACK AT THE ACCUSATIONS HESEXUALLY ASSAULTED A 17-YEAR-OLDGIRL IN 2013 AT HIS CHURCH,HEART OF FIRE, IN FERN CREEK.HE SAYS ON THE NIGHT INQUESTION, HE DID CONFRONT THEALLEGED VICTIM WHILE SHE WASSLEEPING OVER WITH HIS DAUGHTERAT AN APARTMENT AT THE CHURC>> THE FACT IS, IT WAS A NEWYEAR'S EVE, SHE THOUGHT I WAS, IHAD OVEREMPHASIZED THE FACT OFSOME ISSUES THAT SHE WAS HAVINGWITH MY WIFE, AND THAT'S PRETTYMUCH THE STORY, THERE'S NOT ALOT MORE TO THAT. MARK: JOHNSON WOULD NOTELABORATE >> THERE WAS ISSUES IN THATSITUATION BEFORE I GUESS ANY OFTHESE ACCUSATIONS EVER CAME UPAND I DON'T WANT TO GET INTODETAILS OF IT, BUT THERE WASNOTHING TO DO WITH ME, OR ANYSEXUAL THING. MARK: LOUISVILLE MAYOR GREGFISCHER HAS ASKED LMPD TO OPENAN INTERNAL REVIEW OF THE CASEFROM 2013.JOHNSON'S WIFE SAYS SHE STANDSBY HER HUSBAND.>> WE ARE FIGHTERS.WE LIVE REAL LIFE.WE DEAL WITH REAL ISSUES.SO WE DON'T KNOW ANY OTHER WAYTO LIVE BUT TO FIGHT. MARK: MEMBERS OF JOHNSON'S OWNPARTY, INCLUDING THE CHAIR OFTHE REPUBLICAN PARTY AND LEADERSOF THE HOUSE GOP CAUCUS, HAVECALLED ON JOHNSON TO RESIGN.A CALL HE REFUSED.>> THERE ARE PEOPLE THAT HAVEHAD ABUSE, THERE'S WORKPLACEABUSE, THERE'S ALL OF THAT.BUT AT THE SAME TIME, I THINKTHERE ARE PEOPLE THAT HAVE TAKENTHAT NOW AND USED THAT FORPOLITICAL STONES AND POLITICALROCKS TO THROW. MARK: JOHNSON WON HIS SEAT IN2016 UNSEATING INCUMBENT LINDABELCHER.HE ACCUSED BELCHER OF BEINGBEHIND THIS STORY I SPOKE WITH

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A day after leaders from both political parties called on him to resign, a Bullitt County lawmaker said Tuesday that an allegation he sexually assaulted a teenage girl four years ago "absolutely has no merit."Republican state Rep. Dan Johnson is accused of sexual abuse and other crimes in an article by the Kentucky Center for Investigative Reporting.Speaking at the Heart of Fire Church, where he is the pastor, Johnson addressed allegations that he sexually assaulted a 17-year-old girl in 2013.Johnson and supporters began the press conference by singing "O Come, All Ye Faithful."Johnson said people are using the current climate to "throw political stones.""This allegation concerning this young girl, this young lady, absolutely has no merit," Johnson said. "I'm not standing here to step down or resign or do anything like that."He attacked the KYCIR article by saying the organization received "partisan" funding from "outside the commonwealth."Johnson said he was "gruff" with the teen on the night of the alleged assault, when the victim was sleeping over with his daughter at an apartment at the church, but denied sexually assaulting her. "The fact is, it was a New Year's Eve, she thought I was, I had overemphasized the fact of some issues that she was having with my wife, and that's pretty much the story, there's not a lot more to that," Johnson said.He would not elaborate."There was issues in that situation before I guess any of these accusations ever came up and I don't want to get into details of it, but there was nothing to do with me, or any sexual thing," he said.Mayor Greg Fischer has asked Louisville Metro police to conduct an internal review of the case from 2013.Johnson's wife said she stands by her husband."We are fighters. We live real life. We deal with real issues. So we don't know any other way to live but to fight," Rebecca Johnson said.Dan Johnson said in his time in Frankfort, he has become a "hero" for people on issues; like pension and hemp.Dan Johnson was elected in 2016 to the District 49 seat, which includes part of Bullitt County just south of Louisville.Lawmakers from both political parties called Monday for Dan Johnson to step down in the wake of the allegations.“The allegations made public in today’s media accounts are shocking. The victim’s statements, made on the record in her own name, are compelling and deeply troubling. Based on the information presented in this report we are calling on Representative Johnson to resign," House Republican leaders said in a joint statement. "When credible, well-documented allegations surface it is imperative that they be taken seriously. We hope the relevant law enforcement agencies took this matter seriously when it was initially investigated, and that follow-up steps are being taken to ensure nothing was missed that might materially change the course of the case.”“The allegations of felony sexual abuse and other crimes against Rep. Dan Johnson are deeply troubling and demand his resignation from the House of Representatives. All of his unlawful acts should be investigated to the fullest extent, but we particularly urge the appropriate law enforcement agencies to carefully re-examine accusations of sexual misconduct so that justice is secured for his alleged victim," House Democratic leaders said in a joint statement.He drew national attention during his 2016 campaign after posting images of Facebook depicting President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama as monkeys.He maintained that the images were not racist.At the time, the Republican Party of Kentucky asked him to drop out of the race.“Last October, after local media reports about reprehensible and racist posts on his Facebook page, we asked then-candidate Dan Johnson to drop out of the race for State Representative. Following today’s extensively sourced and documented story from the Kentucky Center for Investigative Reporting, we once again find ourselves in a position where we must call for him to resign, this time, from the Kentucky General Assembly,” Republican Party of Kentucky Chairman Mac Brown said.Johnson beat Democratic incumbent Linda Belcher by 156 votes.