A Kentucky lawmaker accused of sexually abusing a teenager announced Tuesday, that he would not resign from office and that the allegations are false as well as politically motivated.

"This allegation concerning this lady, this young girl, absolutely has no merit, these are unfounded accusations, totally," state Rep. Dan Johnson said at a press conference at his church attended by family, campaign volunteers and others.

The Republican Party of Kentucky and leaders of the House Republican Caucus called for Johnson to step down Monday, after the Kentucky Center for Investigative Reporting published an article saying that Johnson forcibly kissed, groped and used his finger to penetrate Maranda Richmond, who was 17 at the time, despite her asking him to stop, on New Year’s Eve in 2012.

“I think this is an assault on all real people,” Johnson said. “This is an absolute assault on real people. There’s no perfect people. You get into office and all of a sudden, political hacks want to come against you and start accusing you, after you’re in office. If I was rough or something on a New Year’s Eve night, that absolutely could have happened,” Johnson said. However, he denied ever touching Richmond.

Richmond, now 21, told KyCIR that for years she had considered Johnson to be a “second dad.” She became close with his daughter Sarah and familiar with the weekend parties Johnson would throw at the “Pope’s House” — the fellowship hall next to the Heart of Fire Church. KyCIR reported that these parties had barely dressed women, body shots and costumes.

As the New Year’s Eve party came to an end, Richmond was spending the night with Johnson’s daughter in the apartment under the fellowship hall, according to the report. Johnson entered, drunk and unstable, and Richmond then helped him up the stairs. She thought he was putting his arm around her for balance until his hand allegedly slipped up her shirt, KyCIR reported.

Richmond woke up later that night on the sofa. She found Johnson kneeling above her. She told KyCIR that he kissed her forehead and then slipped his hands up her shirt and bra. The report said he groped her, stuck his tongue in her mouth and penetrated her with his fingers. She begged him to stop and tried to force him off her.

“He told her she’d like it. She said no, she didn’t. She pleaded with him: go away, go away,” KyCIR reported.

“I think it is the season,” Johnson said about the sexual assault allegations. “Last election it seemed to be racism. This election it seems to be sexual impropriety. This is something that is totally false,” He stated. “There is no reason why I would resign and for anyone that has gotten wobbly in their thoughts, anybody that has gotten wobbly in their standing with me in the political ranks, they need to toughen up a little bit. We’re in a position right now I think as a nation, where I think everyone in public office or public work is at risk of an accusation.”

Source: washingtonpost.com