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| Virginia Political Crisis Grows for Democrats and Republicans | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| RICHMOND, Va. — The political crisis in Virginia intensified Thursday as several leading Democratic presidential candidates called for an investigation into a woman’s sexual assault allegations against Lt. Gov. Justin E. Fairfax, a Democrat, saying they thought her account was credible. | |
| At the same time, a powerful Republican state senator faced questions about his role as a top editor of a college yearbook that contained several racist photographs. | |
| The developments had lawmakers here bracing for a sustained upheaval as the scandal involving the personal conduct of leading government officials showed no sign of ending. | |
| Although two leading Democratic officials — Governor Ralph Northam, who on Saturday admitted to using blackface in 1984, and Mr. Fairfax, who has been accused of a sexual assault in 2004 — have indicated that they will not resign, Attorney General Mark R. Herring, also a Democrat, has suggested that he could quit after acknowledging Wednesday that he, too, had once worn blackface. | |
| Mr. Northam telephoned Mr. Fairfax and Mr. Herring on Thursday. It was the first conversation between the governor and the lieutenant governor since Saturday, and a Democrat familiar with the call said that the two embattled state officials said they were praying for each other. | |
| In Washington, the Virginia congressional delegation met privately to consider what to say about the growing scandal that is crippling the state government. | |
| Senator Tim Kaine, a Democrat and former governor, suggested that Mr. Herring’s contrition and apology to black legislators on Wednesday may preserve his job. | |
| “He reached out to each of us individually, very apologetic, he is in dialogue with the legislative black caucus and African American leadership in the state and they have been impressed with his sincerity while they’ve been very disappointed with what happened,” said Mr. Kaine. | |
| But the senator was more guarded on Mr. Fairfax, who has denied allegations by a California professor, Vanessa C. Tyson, that he sexually assaulted her. | |
| “What we have is a very compelling and detailed statement of a serious, serious charge by a respected professional, and we also have a very unequivocal denial of that charge from someone we know real well,” Mr. Kaine said. | |
| That cautious approach was echoed by other leading national Democrats, who called for an investigation rather than Mr. Fairfax’s resignation, while stating that Ms. Tyson’s claims should be taken seriously. | |
| “I thought her story was deeply disturbing and credible so there must be an investigation,” Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, a 2020 presidential candidate who was one of the first major Democrats to call for the ouster of former Senator Al Franken, said on a podcast Wednesday night. | “I thought her story was deeply disturbing and credible so there must be an investigation,” Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, a 2020 presidential candidate who was one of the first major Democrats to call for the ouster of former Senator Al Franken, said on a podcast Wednesday night. |
| Senator Kamala Harris, another presidential hopeful, called Dr. Tyson’s claims “credible” and said there should be an inquiry. | Senator Kamala Harris, another presidential hopeful, called Dr. Tyson’s claims “credible” and said there should be an inquiry. |
| Mr. Fairfax, who has regularly stopped to speak with reporters in recent days, rushed through the State Capitol on Thursday morning. Ignoring questions about Dr. Tyson, he said only that he was headed to a Senate session and that he had spoken with Mr. Northam. | Mr. Fairfax, who has regularly stopped to speak with reporters in recent days, rushed through the State Capitol on Thursday morning. Ignoring questions about Dr. Tyson, he said only that he was headed to a Senate session and that he had spoken with Mr. Northam. |
| At midday Thursday, the allegations involving racist history spread to Republicans for the first time when The Virginian-Pilot first reported that Senate majority leader Thomas K. Norment Jr. helped oversee a Virginia Military Institute yearbook that featured racist photographs and slurs, including blackface. | |
| Mr. Norment, who has been a state senator since 1992, was a managing editor of the yearbook, called The Bomb, in 1968. The yearbook includes photographs showing students in blackface and includes slurs against African-Americans and Jews, according to a pages from the book that were viewed by The New York Times. | |
| Mr. Norment, 72, emerged from a caucus meeting of Senate Republicans just before 1:30, but ignored questions about the V.M.I. yearbook from dozens of reporters who followed him to the Senate chamber where the Capitol police ushered him in. | |
| He was in a more jovial mood on Wednesday night, when he encountered reporters after the revelations about Mr. Herring and Mr. Fairfax and joked that he may be governor before long, though he is not the first Republican in the line of succession. | He was in a more jovial mood on Wednesday night, when he encountered reporters after the revelations about Mr. Herring and Mr. Fairfax and joked that he may be governor before long, though he is not the first Republican in the line of succession. |
| [Read about the chaotic events Wednesday at the Virginia Capitol] | |
| Mr. Northam, whose staff and political advisers have been working around the clock since this story erupted on Friday afternoon, has hired a Washington-based communications firm led by African-Americans to help him weather the gravest challenge of his political career. The company’s chairman, Jarvis C. Stewart, was hoping to sit down Thursday with the Rev. Al Sharpton, who has come to Richmond to discuss racial reconciliation at Virginia Union University, a historically black college here. | |
| Appearing at a hastily arranged discussion at Virginia Union, Mr. Sharpton, called forcefully for Mr. Northam and Mr. Herring to resign, saying, “If you sin, you must repent for the sin.” | |
| Regarding Mr. Fairfax, Mr. Sharpton cautioned against conflating the sexual assault claim against the lieutenant governor with the admission of wearing blackface by the governor and Mr. Herring. Mr. Sharpton said that there should be an investigation into the accusations against Mr. Fairfax and that both Dr. Tyson and the lieutenant governor should be respected during the process. | Regarding Mr. Fairfax, Mr. Sharpton cautioned against conflating the sexual assault claim against the lieutenant governor with the admission of wearing blackface by the governor and Mr. Herring. Mr. Sharpton said that there should be an investigation into the accusations against Mr. Fairfax and that both Dr. Tyson and the lieutenant governor should be respected during the process. |
| In the Capitol, the fast-moving events of the week left just about no one in the Capitol willing to predict what could come next, even in the whispered conversations that have dominated its corridors this week. | In the Capitol, the fast-moving events of the week left just about no one in the Capitol willing to predict what could come next, even in the whispered conversations that have dominated its corridors this week. |
| “Our diverse commonwealth has been deeply shaken by these developments, but nonetheless remains economically vibrant, fiscally sound, safe and secure,” Kirk Cox, the Republican speaker of the House of Delegates — and a possible governor, under extraordinary circumstances — said in a statement. “We have weathered the storms of four centuries and will weather this one as well.” | “Our diverse commonwealth has been deeply shaken by these developments, but nonetheless remains economically vibrant, fiscally sound, safe and secure,” Kirk Cox, the Republican speaker of the House of Delegates — and a possible governor, under extraordinary circumstances — said in a statement. “We have weathered the storms of four centuries and will weather this one as well.” |
| On Thursday morning, President Trump adopted a view that was more aggressive and partisan. “Democrats at the top are killing the Great State of Virginia,” he wrote on Twitter, predicting that the commonwealth would return to the Republican column in the 2020 presidential election. | On Thursday morning, President Trump adopted a view that was more aggressive and partisan. “Democrats at the top are killing the Great State of Virginia,” he wrote on Twitter, predicting that the commonwealth would return to the Republican column in the 2020 presidential election. |
| Mr. Trump, who has himself been repeatedly accused of sexual misconduct and racism, argued, “If the three failing pols were Republicans, far stronger action would be taken.” | Mr. Trump, who has himself been repeatedly accused of sexual misconduct and racism, argued, “If the three failing pols were Republicans, far stronger action would be taken.” |
| Lawmakers spent much of Wednesday, and well into Wednesday night, privately considering how to respond to the wave of allegations and accusations that threaten to cripple much of the state’s political leadership. With regard to Mr. Herring, many Democratic officials suggested that they would take their cue from the Virginia Legislative Black Caucus, which earlier called for Mr. Northam’s resignation but remained publicly silent through Wednesday’s maelstrom of developments. | Lawmakers spent much of Wednesday, and well into Wednesday night, privately considering how to respond to the wave of allegations and accusations that threaten to cripple much of the state’s political leadership. With regard to Mr. Herring, many Democratic officials suggested that they would take their cue from the Virginia Legislative Black Caucus, which earlier called for Mr. Northam’s resignation but remained publicly silent through Wednesday’s maelstrom of developments. |
| And Republicans, who stand to benefit politically from the turmoil surrounding three of the state’s leading Democrats, were relatively muted under the chaotic circumstances. The Republican Party of Virginia, which previously demanded Mr. Northam’s resignation, called on Wednesday for Mr. Herring’s, but many G.O.P. lawmakers rebuffed requests for comment. | And Republicans, who stand to benefit politically from the turmoil surrounding three of the state’s leading Democrats, were relatively muted under the chaotic circumstances. The Republican Party of Virginia, which previously demanded Mr. Northam’s resignation, called on Wednesday for Mr. Herring’s, but many G.O.P. lawmakers rebuffed requests for comment. |
| The crisis engulfing Democrats grew worse on Wednesday when Mr. Herring, who was elected attorney general in 2013 and had been expected to mount a viable campaign for governor in 2021, said that, as an undergraduate student at the University of Virginia in 1980, he and friends “dressed up and put on wigs and brown makeup” for a party. | The crisis engulfing Democrats grew worse on Wednesday when Mr. Herring, who was elected attorney general in 2013 and had been expected to mount a viable campaign for governor in 2021, said that, as an undergraduate student at the University of Virginia in 1980, he and friends “dressed up and put on wigs and brown makeup” for a party. |
| Mr. Herring’s disclosure came just days after he called for Mr. Northam to quit. The attorney general said Wednesday that “honest conversations and discussions will make it clear whether I can or should continue to serve as attorney general.” | Mr. Herring’s disclosure came just days after he called for Mr. Northam to quit. The attorney general said Wednesday that “honest conversations and discussions will make it clear whether I can or should continue to serve as attorney general.” |
| [Make sense of the people, issues and ideas shaping American politics with our newsletter.] | [Make sense of the people, issues and ideas shaping American politics with our newsletter.] |
| But Democrats and Republicans alike were struggling more broadly about how to respond to the sexual assault allegation against Mr. Fairfax, the lieutenant governor, who has denied any wrongdoing. | But Democrats and Republicans alike were struggling more broadly about how to respond to the sexual assault allegation against Mr. Fairfax, the lieutenant governor, who has denied any wrongdoing. |
| In a two-and-a-half-page statement on Wednesday, Dr. Tyson provided a detailed account of her encounter with Mr. Fairfax in 2004, saying that he had forced her to perform oral sex on him. | In a two-and-a-half-page statement on Wednesday, Dr. Tyson provided a detailed account of her encounter with Mr. Fairfax in 2004, saying that he had forced her to perform oral sex on him. |
| “I never gave any form of consent,” said Dr. Tyson, whose searing statement recounted a violent attack. | “I never gave any form of consent,” said Dr. Tyson, whose searing statement recounted a violent attack. |
| Mr. Fairfax, also seen as a contender for governor in 2021, acknowledged what he described as a “consensual encounter,” but suggested that Dr. Tyson had misrepresented what occurred. | Mr. Fairfax, also seen as a contender for governor in 2021, acknowledged what he described as a “consensual encounter,” but suggested that Dr. Tyson had misrepresented what occurred. |
| “I take this situation very seriously and continue to believe Dr. Tyson should be treated with respect,” he said in a statement on Wednesday. “But I cannot agree to a description of events that simply is not true.” | “I take this situation very seriously and continue to believe Dr. Tyson should be treated with respect,” he said in a statement on Wednesday. “But I cannot agree to a description of events that simply is not true.” |
| Some leading Virginia Democrats, though, began to distance themselves from Mr. Fairfax on Wednesday, suggesting that his political standing could erode quickly. | Some leading Virginia Democrats, though, began to distance themselves from Mr. Fairfax on Wednesday, suggesting that his political standing could erode quickly. |
| Representative Jennifer Wexton wrote on Twitter: “I believe Dr. Vanessa Tyson.” | Representative Jennifer Wexton wrote on Twitter: “I believe Dr. Vanessa Tyson.” |
| And Representative Bobby Scott said he had known Dr. Tyson as a friend for about a decade and that she “deserves the opportunity to have her story heard.” | And Representative Bobby Scott said he had known Dr. Tyson as a friend for about a decade and that she “deserves the opportunity to have her story heard.” |
| Late Wednesday night, aides to Mr. Scott confirmed that in late December 2017 or early January 2018, Dr. Tyson told him that she had made an allegation of sexual assault against Mr. Fairfax, in the course of notifying Mr. Scott that she had given his name as a character reference to The Washington Post, which was investigating the allegation. (The Post did not publish a story at the time because it could not corroborate any of the accounts.) | Late Wednesday night, aides to Mr. Scott confirmed that in late December 2017 or early January 2018, Dr. Tyson told him that she had made an allegation of sexual assault against Mr. Fairfax, in the course of notifying Mr. Scott that she had given his name as a character reference to The Washington Post, which was investigating the allegation. (The Post did not publish a story at the time because it could not corroborate any of the accounts.) |