The Terror Strikes Again-- Suicide In Kentuckiana

The other night, I was at a political fundraiser and some vanity candidate in another race in another state crashed the event. One of her supporters who came with her told me that another candidate in the primary race is a womanizer and strongly insinuated he harasses women. They apparently have every intention of destroying this guy's career, although he has already accomplished significant things and she... as far as I can tell, hasn't accomplished anything at all in the public sphere, nothing bad, nothing good... nothing at all. Vanity candidates are the strangest bunch. I need to do a post about them. But that isn't what we're talking about tonight.

Instead we're here to note the passing of Dan "Danny Ray" Johnson, an evangelical minister and a crooked Republican racist state Rep. from the Knobs (Bullitt County, just south of Louisville). He narrowly won the seat against a Democratic incumbent, Linda Belcher, last year in the Trump landslide in Kentucky. He won by 156 votes, less than 1%. He shot himself Wednesday evening after being accused on Monday of having molested a member of his church in 2012 when she was 17 years old. He refused to resign, insisting the allegations were false. Suicide followed.

In this lynch mob climate it doesn't matter if the allegations are false. Just that someone is accused is enough. A Republican pastor in Kentucky? If I had to bet, I'd bet he was guilty. And isn't a little due process in order? Even for a Republican pastor in Kentucky?

Bullitt County Sheriff Donnie Tinnell says Johnson drove to the bridge over the Salt River on Greenwell Ford Road in Mt. Washington, parked on the north side of it and shot himself in front of his car.

His body was found on the bank of the river, just past the bridge.

Just before 5 p.m. Wednesday, Johnson posted the following message on his Facebook page:

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 . 9-11-2001 NYC/WTC, PTSD 24/7 16 years is a sickness that will take my life, I cannot handle it any longer. IT Has Won This Life . BUT HEAVEN IS MY HOME. “PLEASE LISTEN CLOSELY, Only Three things I ask of you to do,if you love me is (1)blame no person,Satan is the accuser, so blame the Devil himself. (2) Forgive and Love everyone especially yourself .(3)most importantly LOVE GOD. P.S. I LOVE MY FRIENDS YOU ARE FAMILY ! GOD LOVES ALL PEOPLE NO MATTER WHAT !

The coroner said police were alerted after someone saw the Facebook post. Officers then pinged Johnson's phone and found his body.

On Tuesday, Johnson held a press conference at his church on Bardstown Road, where he denied the molestation allegations. According to court documents obtained by the Kentucky Center for Investigative Reporting, the alleged molestation took place on New Year's Eve in 2012. The alleged victim, who was 17 at the time, told authorities that she was staying in a living area of the Heart of Fire City Church where Johnson was pastor, when Johnson, who had been drinking a lot, approached her, kissed her and fondled her under her clothes.

...Jeff Hoover, the former Kentucky Speaker of the House who resigned after sexual assault allegations, also tweeted a statement Wednesday night:

And now his wife wants to run for his seat. She's mad as hell: "These high-tech lynchings and half truths can’t be allowed to win the day. I’ve been fighting behind my husband for thirty years and his fight will go on." I wonder what she means by "half truth." No telling if she's as racist and crazy as he was; but I'd bet on it.