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Kentucky Lawmaker's Wife Wants To Replace Him

Posted at 12:10 PM, Dec 14, 2017
and last updated 2017-12-14 13:10:29-05

The wife of a Republican lawmaker in Kentucky who killed himself after accusations he sexually assaulted a teenage girl says she will seek to replace him in the state legislature.

Rebecca Johnson made the announcement in a news release sent to The Associated Press.

Dan Johnson killed himself Wednesday night. David Adams, a political operative who worked for Dan Johnson, confirmed Rebecca Johnson's intentions.

In the release, Rebecca Johnson referred to her husband's death as a "high-tech lynching based on lies and half-truths."

The Kentucky Center for Investigative Reporting published a story earlier this week detailing accusations that Johnson sexually assaulted a 17-year-old girl in 2013.

Police had investigated the matter but did not file charges. The story prompted police to re-open the investigation. Dan Johnson had called the accusations "totally false."