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Virginia power crisis escalates with 2nd woman accusing Democrat Lt. Governor of rape Virginia power crisis: As 2nd woman accuses him of rape, Lt. Gov faces impeachment unless he resigns
(about 5 hours later)
A second woman has accused embattled Virginia Lt. Governor Justin Fairfax of sexual assault, with his office still reeling from last week’s claims he’d assaulted a female professor at the 2004 Democratic National Convention. Democratic congressional leaders are calling for the resignation of embattled Virginia Lt. Governor Justin Fairfax after a second woman has accused him of sexual assault, less than two weeks after the first allegations surfaced.
Meredith Watson claims she was raped by Fairfax in a “premeditated and aggressive assault” while both were students at Duke University back in 2000. Watson told multiple friends and classmates about the assault after it happened – both verbally and in Facebook messages and emails, she has revealed through her attorney. At least one of those friends has publicly corroborated her account, while others have reportedly provided statements. Virginia House of Delegates member Patrick Hope announced he will introduce articles of impeachment against Fairfax on Monday if he does not resign over the weekend, while Democrats in the Virginia state House and Senate issued a joint statement calling for his resignation. “Fairfax can no longer fulfill his duties,” the statement read. “The time has come for him to step down.”
Watson says she doesn’t want any money from Fairfax – she just wants him to resign. Calls for the Virginia Democrat’s resignation began on Friday afternoon after Meredith Watson released a statement claiming she was raped in a “premeditated and aggressive assault” by Fairfax while both were students at Duke University in 2000. Watson told multiple friends and classmates about the assault after it happened –both verbally and in Facebook messages and emails, she has revealed through her attorney– and at least one of those friends has publicly corroborated her account, while others have reportedly provided statements. Watson says she doesn’t want any money from Fairfax – she just wants him to resign.
The two undergrads were “friends” at Duke but did not date or see each other romantically, according to Watson’s lawyer, Nancy Erika Smith. Democratic presidential hopefuls including Sen. Cory Booker (D-New Jersey), Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont), and Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Massachusetts) called for Fairfax to step down on Friday evening, as did other prominent Democrats, including Sen. Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Rep. Jennifer Wexton (D-Virginia) and former Virginia governor Terry McAuliffe.
“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,” said Smith, who claims the details of the attack on Watson are similar to the details shared by Vanessa Tyson, the professor who accused Fairfax last week. Fairfax has denied Watson’s allegations, claiming there is a “smear campaign” targeting him. “I will not resign,” he said in a statement, calling for a full investigation and noting he has already passed FBI background checks. “Two pieces of paper and no proof should not be enough to end a political career,” he reportedly added later on Friday.
Fairfax has denied Watson’s allegations, claiming there is a “smear campaign” targeting him. “I will not resign,” he said in a statement, calling for a full investigation and noting he has already passed FBI background checks. The Lt. Governor also insisted there was nothing non-consensual about his encounter with Vanessa Tyson, the professor who accused him of sexually assaulting her during the 2004 Democratic National Convention. Tyson released a statement claiming she initially suppressed memories of the assault –in which the Democratic politician allegedly forced her to perform oral sex– out of shame until the news he was running for office “hit [her] like a ton of bricks.”
The Lieutenant Governor also insisted there was nothing non-consensual about his encounter with Tyson, who released a statement claiming she initially suppressed memories of the assault - in which the Democratic politician allegedly forced her to perform oral sex - out of shame until the news he was running for office “hit [her] like a ton of bricks.”
As the reports of Fairfax’s second accuser filtered through Congress, multiple Democratic lawmakers called for his resignation. Sen. Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Rep. Jennifer Wexton (D-Virginia), Sen. Cory Booker (D-New Jersey), and former Virginia governor Terry McAuliffe were among the first.
Fairfax isn’t the only VA Democrat in hot water, as the entire state leadership is crumbling under allegations of racism and sexual assault. After first admitting, then denying he had appeared in a photo from his high school yearbook depicting a man in blackface next to a man in a KKK costume, Governor Ralph Northam has refused to step down despite calls for his resignation. Meanwhile, Attorney General Mark Herring has admitted that he too wore blackface at a college party.Fairfax isn’t the only VA Democrat in hot water, as the entire state leadership is crumbling under allegations of racism and sexual assault. After first admitting, then denying he had appeared in a photo from his high school yearbook depicting a man in blackface next to a man in a KKK costume, Governor Ralph Northam has refused to step down despite calls for his resignation. Meanwhile, Attorney General Mark Herring has admitted that he too wore blackface at a college party.
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