An Arson Investigation Is Looking Into The Fire That Destroyed The Home Of A Roy Moore Accuser

Tina Johnson, one of the women who accused Alabama senatorial candidate Roy Moore of sexual harassment, is facing tragedy after her home burned down on Tuesday. The Etowah County Arson Task Force have opened up an investigation looking into whether there was any foul play.

Though the task force said Friday that, so far, the information they’ve gathered does not indicate that the fire “is in any way related to Roy Moore or allegations made against him,” it did confirm that there is a person of interest; this strongly suggests that there is at least some proof indicating that the fire might have been set intentionally.

“It’s too coincidental to me, but whatever they say I’ll go with, but right now I’m just so devastated that — I can’t — I’m devastated,” Johnson told CNN, speaking outside the rubble that was once her residence.

To get more stories like this, subscribe to our newsletter The Daily.

Johnson accused Moore of grabbing her buttocks in 1991 when she was 28; she met with him to discuss a legal case regarding the custody of her son — Moore was a lawyer at the time — and claims that the grabbing happened as she was stepping out of his office.

The allegations of sexual assault and/or harassment against Moore by multiple women, some who said they were underage when the incidents occurred, dealt a fatal blow to his senatorial bid. In December, he lost to Democrat Doug Jones and became the first Republican to lose a senatorial race in Alabama in 25 years. Johnson was one of Moore’s most visible accusers, appearing on television numerous times to speak out against him.

She says that she and her husband lost everything “but the clothes on our backs.”

After news of the tragedy broke, a GoFundMe campaign was created by Katie Jacobs Stanton, a former Obama staffer, to help Johnson. At the time of this writing, the campaign has raised over $102,000 dollars, exceeding the set $100,000 goal.

“It has always been dangerous and risky for women (and men) to speak out against sexual harrasmment (sic),” reads the campaign page. “Today, this danger reached a disturbing level. Tina’s home burned down and she lost everything.”

While there is currently nothing to prove that Moore is directly connected to the destruction of Johnson’s home, the notion that one of his supporters would attack one of the women who contributed to his defeat in one of the most conservative states in the country is not far-fetched.

Image: CNN