In 2016, Danny Ray Johnson was elected to state office. The fast talking biker-preacher known as "The Pope" paints himself as a 9/11 hero. He says he raised the dead! But our seven month investigation uncovered a much different picture: Attempted arson. Another mysterious fire. Alleged bootlegging and molestation in the church. For years, Johnson broke laws. Now he helps make them. What happens when the institutions we rely on look the other way? How does a liar slip through the cracks into a position of power? This six-part series attempts to find out. From Louisville Public Media.
Latest episodes
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2 min
Introducing Dig, Season 3: The Girls
From the Peabody Award-winning team behind "The Pope's Long Con," a new season of "Dig" is available now. This season, we meet Ronnie and Donnie Stoner. They were trusted educators…
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26 min
Check Out Our New Investigative Podcast, Dig
From the newsroom that brought you the Pope’s Long Con, check out our newest podcast, Dig. In the first season, we bring you the results of a yearlong look at how rape cases are in…
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16 min
The Pope's Wife
We knew the story wasn't over at the end of the last chapter — but no one could've known what would happen next. +
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17 min
When Our Institutions Fail
Over and over, there were warning signs for law enforcement, political leaders and others. What happens when the institutions we rely on look the other way? How does a liar slip th…
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16 min
An Accusation Of Molestation
A teenage girl thought of Johnson as a second dad. Her family trusted the pastor. But in 2013, he allegedly molested her. Hear her story. And listen to Johnson's extraordinary resp…
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19 min
An Empire Built On Blind Faith
Go inside the Heart of Fire Church and meet the motorcycle-friendly congregation and gun choir. Check out the fellowship hall — or biker bar — and learn more about Johnson's dark p…
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23 min
From Bastrop To Bullitt
Like Forrest Gump, he just so happens to be in the front row, playing a pivotal role in America’s biggest moments. Time after time. Decade after decade. He's held some of the count…
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18 min
Welcome To The Pope's House
Meet Danny Ray Johnson, Kentucky's fast-talking preacher-turned-politician who is known as the Pope. He paints himself as a 9/11 hero, healer of the sick and miracle maker. Behind…
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56 sec
Introducing The Pope's Long Con
What happens when the institutions we depend on fail at every level? What happens when lies go unchecked? From the pulpit to the statehouse, one man claims to serve his fellow man.…