Sac County Democrats Call On Mayor Johnson To Apologize

After a videotape of an interview with a then-17-year-old girl was posted on the website Deadspin claiming then Phoenix Suns point guard Kevin Johnson had repeatedly fondled her inappropriately, a group of Sacramento Democrats has asked current Mayor Kevin Johnson to apologize.

Kerri Asbury is chair of the Democratic Party of Sacramento County, "As a woman and a aunt to teenage girls I was pretty disgusted and horrified by the allegations."

Asbury added, "I really think that it's time for the mayor to take responsibility for his actions, apologize. I do think its... we're ready in the city to move forward and get back to the focus on city needs and away from scandals and stories of impropriety."

She says she decided to ask for the apology after seeing the 1996 police video of a girl accusing Johnson of sexual assaulting her beginning when she was 16.

Asbury says the video opened her eyes.

"It's disturbing and disgusting," says Asbury. "I think that definitely casts a different type of light on the situation and can change some of the sentiment, that where it was easier to brush aside when you didn't see it. It was just a story. Now, we have the actual video."

(Warning. The video contains graphic language.)

Asbury says she is not asking the mayor to resign.

The Democratic Party of Sacramento County did not support Johnson's "strong mayor" proposals, his use of city staff to operate private initiatives, or his last two election bids.

The party backed then-incumbent Mayor Heather Fargo in 2008 and was not asked for an endorsement in 2012.

A media release from the Mayor's office says he will soon decide whether to run for a third term.

Johnson has replied to questions of responsibility in the past by saying the Phoenix Police investigation in 1996 led to no charges.

But, in a recorded call between the girl and Johnson that year, the girl asks "Do you think us being naked together or taking a shower was normal, or healthy?"

Johnson responded, "I told you the judgment was not in the best, and I'm sorry about that and, again, I felt we talked about [that] and you're looking at it different than I'm looking at it, and what you're saying happened, I'm not entirely agreeing happened. I'm sorry about that."

The girl, now 36, says Johnson paid her $230,000 for her silence.

When asked about the settlement as recently as Monday night, Johnson replied in part, "There's no there, there."

Here is a 12-minute segment of an hour-long interview between Phoenix Police and the girl who made the allegations: