Oregon Lawmaker: Sex Charges `Witch Hunt' -- One Of Three Accusers Goes Public

SALEM, Ore. - New sexual-harassment allegations have rekindled an Oregon Legislature scandal and prompted an accuser and the accused to call each other liars.

State Sen. Rod Johnson denied the latest allegations against him yesterday and said his opponents are lining up "phantom accusers" to make new charges.

"The efforts of the people behind this attack are reminiscent of the McCarthyism of the 1950s and are despicable," the Roseburg Republican said at a news conference.

Johnson, accompanied by his wife, Cathy, read a prepared statement but declined to answer reporters' questions about who might be behind an effort against him.

A spokeswoman for the Women's Rights Coalition called Johnson's assertion about being the victim of a "witch hunt" absurd and said that Johnson was only trying to divert attention from his own improper conduct.

Over the weekend, the Eugene Register-Guard reported that three more current or former legislative employees have said they were the target of unwanted sexual advances or improper conduct by Johnson. None of the women would agree to be identified.

However, in a story appearing in today's Register-Guard, Ann Crowell said she was one of those making the allegations. She said that in 1991 Johnson assailed her with rude comments about her breasts and joked about her mother's mastectomy.

She said she agreed to make her name public after hearing Johnson's comments.

"I'm sick and tired of people in public office thinking they can say whatever they want to people and not being held accountable for what they say or do," said Crowell, an aide to Rep. Mary Alice Ford, R-Portland.

Two other women earlier made similar accusations against the 39-year-old Roseburg senator. One of them, Michelle Mitchell, a former Johnson staffer, confronted the senator as he was leaving the news conference.

"You're a liar," Mitchell told Johnson.

"You are the liar," Johnson shot back.

In May, Johnson apologized for "inappropriate comments" he made to Mitchell but continued to deny her allegations that he made unwelcome sexual advances while the two were on a business trip.

Meanwhile, the majority Democrats in the Senate announced plans to meet today to discuss possible disciplinary action against Johnson. Senate Majority Leader Dick Springer said the latest allegations "certainly seem consistent with what we've heard from other women who've been employed by the Legislature."

"If these allegations are true, and I have no reason to doubt them, then we've got an obligation to weigh some very serious sanctions, including a possible censure," the Portland Democrat said.

The controversy over Johnson's reported harassment of women working around him also threatened to become the source of a partisan squabble in what already has been a contentious legislative session.

Johnson said he would not respond specifically to the "vague allegations" contained in the Register-Guard story.

He denied Crowell's claim that he made crude remarks about her breasts and her mother's mastectomy.

Johnson said his mother-in-law underwent a mastectomy and chemotherapy for breast cancer several years ago.

"I know that I would never knowingly say anything hurtful or insensitive about a person's mother's breast surgery," he said. "If anything I said was honestly misconstrued in any way, I was never made aware of it, and if I had been, I would have sincerely apologized."

However, he said the new allegations were the result of a "politically motivated witch hunt" against him.