FORMER Upper Hunter MP Michael Johnsen claims he has been "vindicated" after the DPP advised police there was "insufficient evidence" to charge him over allegations he sexually assaulted a sex worker in the Blue Mountains and offered the woman $1000 for sex at NSW Parliament House in 2019.
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Mr Johnsen's resignation from NSW Parliament prompted a byelection in May in the marginal seat of Upper Hunter, which the Nationals narrowly held but ended the reign of Labor leader Jodi McKay.
Mr Johnsen posted a statement on his website over the weekend entitled "Innocent", in which he said he had been "cleared" of the sexual assault allegation, asked police to investigate his accuser if she went public and excoriated the media, Ms McKay and Blue Mountains Labor MP Trish Doyle, who earlier this year used parliamentary privilege to reveal a "government MP" had been accused of raping a sex worker at a secluded lookout in Ms Doyle's electorate.
Within hours, Mr Johnsen revealed he was the MP at the centre of the allegations.
The accusations prompted NSW Nationals leader John Barilaro to demand Mr Johnsen's resignation and he quit but denied the claims and vowed to clear his name.
"I have been formally cleared of a sexual assault allegation by the NSW Police with no further action to occur against me," Mr Johnsen said in the statement.
"I have been vindicated. I am innocent. As stated all along.
"Unlike my accuser, I will not name her. However, I will be forced to ask NSW Police to investigate her for using a carriage service to make threats, making false allegations, revenge distribution of private material and press any charges accordingly, should she repeat her claims publicly."
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Mr Johnsen said he hoped this would not be required, given the women had "recent criminal convictions" and was "required to undergo treatment as directed by mental health issues".
In a statement, NSW Police said it "sought legal advice from the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions in relation to these matters".
"Following recommendations made by the DPP there is insufficient admissible evidence to proceed with charges," a spokeswoman said.
Mr Johnsen said it was "shameful" for Ms Doyle and and Ms McKay to "use this woman for political purposes", calling for an independent inquiry and saying Ms Doyle's use of parliamentary privilege ultimately destroyed his career and "sullied my reputation".
He claimed he was "forced" to self-identify after his name was leaked to the media. "Despite having access to an enormous amount of public information that questioned the motives of my accuser, her troubled history, and her facing charges for these offences at the time, both Trish Doyle MP and Jodi McKay MP chose to ignore these facts to pursue a political attack on me in the parliament," he said.
This story 'We can do better': NSW records 239 COVID cases in Sunday numbers first appeared on Newcastle Herald.
