Top Democrats, including Sen. Tim Kaine and former Gov. Terry McAuliffe, on Friday called on Virginia Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax to resign after a second woman came forward to accuse him of sexual assault. “Lieutenant Governor Fairfax should resign. The allegations against him detail atrocious crimes, and he can no longer effectively serve the Commonwealth,” Kaine said in a statement.
“The allegations against Justin Fairfax are serious and credible. It is clear to me that he can no longer effectively serve the people of Virginia as Lieutenant Governor. I call for his immediate resignation,” McAuliffe wrote on Twitter.
Meredith Watson, the second woman to accuse him of sexual assault this week, released a statement Friday afternoon through her lawyer, Nancy Erika Smith. The rape allegedly took place in 2000, when Watson and Fairfax were both students at Duke University.
“Ms. Watson shared her account of the rape with friends in a series of emails and Facebook messages that are now in our possession. Additionally, we have statements from former classmates corroborating that Ms. Watson immediately told friends that Mr. Fairfax had raped her,” the statement by Smith said. Smith added that the details of Fairfax’s alleged attack on Watson were similar to what Fairfax’s first accuser, Vanessa Tyson, described.
“At this time, Ms. Watson is reluctantly coming forward out of a strong sense of civic duty and her belief that those seeking or serving in public office should be of the highest character,” Smith said. “She has no interest in becoming a media personality or reliving the trauma that has greatly affected her life. Similarly, she is not seeking any financial damages.”
The statement said Smith has reached out to Fairfax on behalf of Watson to urge him to resign.
In a statement, Fairfax denies the allegation and refuses to step down.
Paul Plante says
I bet he is still in office at the end of this week as the Democrats continue to hope that this will all blow over and be replaced by some kind of indignation over something Trump has said or done.
BJS says
Hell, if he was a Republican, the Commander-In-Tweet would nominate him for the Supreme Court of the Untied States!!!
Paul Plante says
But so far, the dude is still very safe as Virginia Lt. Governor, and it looks like he is going to stay that way, until somebody does decide he would make a real good Supreme Court justice alongside Sonia Sotomayor.
Slide Easy says
I was thinking; If Liberals don’t believe in biological gender then why did they march for women’s rights?
I was thinking; If women do the same job for less money, why do companies hire men to do the same job for more money?
I was thinking; Since only 11 million people have Obama-Care, how will 24 million people die if it is repealed? Will an additional 13 million people be randomly shot?
I was thinking; We should stop calling them all ‘Entitlements’. Welfare, Food Stamps, WIC, ad nausea are not Entitlements. They are taxpayer-funded handouts and shouldn’t be called Entitlements at all. But, Social Security and Veterans Benefits are Entitlements because the people receiving them are entitled to them. They were earned and paid for by the recipients.
I was thinking; If you rob a bank in a Sanctuary City, is it illegal or is it just an Undocumented Withdrawal?
I was thinking; After the London ‘Lone Wolf’ terrorist attack, government officials arrested at least eight other ‘Lone Wolves’ who had conspired with the original ‘Lone Wolf’ in planning the ‘Lone Wolf’ attack. Why do they tell us even though all involved are Muslims, you can be assured that the ‘Lone Wolf’ attack has nothing at all to do with Islam, just like the other 1,000-plus ‘Lone Wolf’ attacks by Muslims, are completely unassociated with Islam?
I was thinking; Why is each ISIS attack now a reaction to Trump policies, but all ISIS attacks during Obama’s term were due to Climate Change and a plea for jobs?
I was thinking; If Muslims want to run away from a Muslim country, does that mean they are Islamophobic?
I was thinking; If Democrats don’t want foreigners involved in our elections, why do they think it’s all right for illegals to vote?
I was thinking; Is the DNC is mad at Russia because it ‘thinks’ they are trying to manipulate our elections, or because Russia is exposing that the DNC is manipulating our elections?
I was thinking; How did the Russians get Debbie Wasserman Schultz and the DNC to steal the Primary from Bernie Sanders? How did Russia get Donna Brazile to leak debate questions to Hillary Clinton in advance of the debates?
I was thinking; Why is it that Democrats think Super delegates are fine, but they have a problem with the Electoral College?
I was thinking; If Donald Trump deleted all of his emails, wiped his server with Bleachbit and destroyed all of his phones with a hammer, would the Mainstream Media suddenly lose all interest in the story and declare him innocent?
I was thinking; If Hillary’s speeches cost $250,000 an hour, how come no one shows up to her free speeches?
I was thinking; If you don’t want the FBI involved in elections, don’t nominate someone who’s being investigated by the FBI.
Mike Kuzma, Jr. says
If he was a Republican, he would have been:
Forced to resign at the first accusation.
Driven from the Party forever.
Prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.
Forced to pay whatever fine is applicable; ie jail, money etc…
BY REPUBLICANS.
If he is a Democrat, he is called the “Conscious of the Senate”(Byrd-Grand Kleagle of the KKK, Kenendy, Hero!! Of Chappaquiddick!! Frank, I did not know my boyfriend weas running a brothel out of my house AND I was unaware that my boyfriend was running a POT STORE out of my basement) Or Stubbs( I shore do likes them young boys)
And yo know it. So don’t even try that flat out lie.
Slide Easy says
When I hear about all of the rape/sexual abuse of woman, over the last few years, I often wonder why the female’s dad, brother, cousin, uncle, grandpa, ect. do not take care of this. I always hear the story about the female being abused, but never hear the report of what her male family members did to the rapist/abuser.
Something is wrong with that picture.
We need to take care of our females, let us start today.
Paul Plante says
Boy, talk about a story disappearing – sounds of silence on this one now – everybody go back home, nothing to see here, folks!
One has to wonder what happened to both of these women.
Did some Democrat “fixer” lawyer perhaps make some “hush money” payments to buy their silence so the Democrats won’t have this albatross hanging around their neck going into the next election cycle?
Inquiring minds would like to know.
Paul Plante says
Well, here it is, 24 February 2019, and Fairfax is still Lt. Governor, although this matter seems to be picking up some steam again with a bizarre twist coming today with the speech Fairfax made as was reported in the USA TODAY article “Virginia’s Fairfax compares himself to lynching victims in surprise speech” by Alan Suderman, Associated Press, published 4:46 p.m. ET Feb. 24, 2019, as follows:
RICHMOND, Va. – Embattled Virginia Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax compared himself to Jim Crow-era lynching victims in a surprise speech Sunday, as he resists widespread calls to resign prompted by allegations of sexual assault.
Fairfax strongly defended himself and lashed out at his critics from his rostrum in the state Senate as the 2019 legislative session was coming to a close.
“I’ve heard much about anti-lynching on the floor of this very Senate, where people were not given any due process whatsoever, and we rue that,” Fairfax said, referencing legislation the General Assembly passed expressing “profound regret” for lynchings in Virginia between 1877 and 1950.
“And we talk about hundreds, at least 100 terror lynchings that have happened in the Commonwealth of Virginia under those very same auspices.”
“And yet we stand here in a rush to judgment with nothing but accusations and no facts and we decide that we are willing to do the same thing,” Fairfax said.
When he finished his five-minute impromptu speech, stunned senators sat in awkward silence.
end quotes
Sounds like it was quite the momentous occasion.
Getting back to that breaking story:
Fairfax, who is black, has been accused by two women of sexual assault.
Both of the alleged victims are African American.
House Republicans announced plans Friday to hold a public hearing where Fairfax, Tyson and Watson can testify, a move that Fairfax and some Democrats have panned as a political ploy.
Fairfax has indicated he won’t participate in the hearing, leaving it an open question whether Republicans will try to compel him to testify.
Fairfax has said the accusations should be investigated by law enforcement.
Republican House Majority Leader Del. Todd Gilbert said Fairfax’s comments about lynchings were highly inappropriate.
“That is the worst, most disgusting type of rhetoric he could have invoked,” Gilbert said.
“It’s entirely appropriate for him to talk about due process and we would intend to offer him every ounce of it, and he’s welcome to take advantage of that anytime he would like.”
end quotes
As I say, a very strange situation, indeed, which takes us to this, to wit:
But black lawmakers did not object to Fairfax’s speech.
Virginia Legislative Black Caucus Chairman Del. Lamont Bagby said he’s heard similar rhetoric from his constituents, who have expressed concerns that Fairfax is being treated unfairly because of his race.
end quotes
He’s being treated unfairly because of his race?
By who?
The two black women who have accused him of raping them?
And what is his “race,” anyway?
Isn’t he a member of the same human race as the rest of us?
And the national Democrats can’t let an opportunity to run their mouths about how unfair to Fairfax as we see from the FOX News article “DNC chair: GOP concerns over socialism are a ‘trick’ to distract from ‘real’ issues” by Gregg Re on 24 February 2019, as follows:
Wallace also queried Perez on a separate problem brewing in Virginia, where a top Republican announced Friday that the state’s judiciary committee will invite the two women accusing Democratic Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax of sexual assault to testify when the legislature returns in April.
“I have a concern in the context of having a part-time state legislature conducting the hearings,” Perez said.
“I have been unequivocal in making sure that when allegations of this nature are made they are investigated.”
“I don’t think the Virginia House of Delegates and the Senate are the right place to investigate it.”
“We should have an independent investigation that should be prompt, it should be thorough, it should be fair.”
“And that’s what should happen.”
end quotes
These Democrats had no trouble pillorying Brett Kavanaugh for allegedly being drunk and laying on top of poor Chrissy Blasey-Ford, and making him out to be a monster, based on no real evidence and they called that fair.
I wonder why they don’t want the same for Fairfax.