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VA’s Lt. Governor Faces ‘Me Too’ Allegation
Virginia’s Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax might have as many problems as embattled Gov. Ralph Northam. Big League Politics, the same outlet that broke Northam’s yearbook photos, published a woman’s claim that Fairfax sexually assaulted her. The Washington Post had previously investigated the issue but decided not to publish.
Fairfax and the woman told different versions of what happened in the hotel room with no one else present. The Washington Post could not find anyone who could corroborate either version. The Post did not find “significant red flags and inconsistencies within the allegations,” as the Fairfax statement incorrectly said.
Fairfax (D), who was not married at the time, has denied her account through his attorneys and described the encounter as consensual.
The woman described a sexual encounter that began with consensual kissing and ended with a forced act that left her crying and shaken. She said Fairfax guided her to the bed, where they continued kissing, and then at one point she realized she could not move her neck. She said Fairfax used his strength to force her to perform oral sex.
The Washington Post, in phone calls to people who knew Fairfax from college, law school and through political circles, found no similar complaints of sexual misconduct against him. Without that, or the ability to corroborate the woman’s account — in part because she had not told anyone what happened — The Washington Post did not run a story.
The Lt. Governor’s office released a statement Monday. “Lt. Governor Fairfax has an outstanding and well-earned reputation for treating people with dignity and respect,” it said. “He has never assaulted anyone — ever — in any way, shape or form.”
It’s good that the Washington Post is addressing this now, and that they didn’t run the unproven “he said/she said” allegation when they investigated it a year ago. If only the press had shown similar professionalism with Judge Kavanaugh. We’ll see this week how eager other journalists are to dig deeper into this story.
Published in Politics
All women must be believed.
So who’s third in line for Virginia Governorship?
Dear @valiuth: As a resident of the Commonwealth of Virginia I am beginning to think we will not have a governor, lt gov, or any legislature left pretty soon. I believe the attorney general would be third in line but at this point ……
This is pretty much it, isn’t it? Fourteen year old allegations that seem, at best, uncorroborated, would seem to tip the scales well in the direction of Fairfax. But some on his side of the aisle have already set a different standard.
On one side you have 34 year-old allegations that are contradicted by other testimony that must nonetheless be believed, and here 14 year-old allegations that are not contradicted. Seems a slam dunk.
Yes, and I’m torn between restoring sanity to these situations versus making them play by their own rules. If we succeed at making them play by their own rules we’re probably cementing those rules in place.
Ugh! George W. Bush and Barack Obama are looking better and better. I am so tired of the Clintons and Trumps who bring disrepute to their office.
Doesn’t sound like such a bad out come…
I must say I tune out over the weekend to news in general. So on Friday the story broke about the photo, and I thought “Who is Northam?” Then I thought, well that is embarrassing, was he the Klan’s man or the Black Face (is one better?), then I let it go to do weekend things. Now I come back Monday and hoo boy the man has in the span of two days both apologized for the photo and then denied being in it. Which is some trick. Maybe he meant to do it in reverse order?
I just love this story for its goofy silly fun. But, man is this not one of the stupidest things ever?
None of those people are actually involved.
Why don’t women bite more.
double standard, of course.
But Jon, the Kavanaugh situation was an emergency. The Virginia lieutenant governor only matters of something were to happen to Gov. Northam.
Percival you are so right, and also the little matter that one has a (D) behind his name and the other was nominated by a Ugly Orange guy with an (R).
Equal justice is not social justice so it must not be allowed.
Anybody know anything about the history and writers of Big League Politics? Its like they came out of nowhere.
I actually find association with the likes of Bill Ayers, Jeremiah Wright, and Louis Farrakhan far more disreputable than anything Trump has ever done.
Weak jaw muscles?
That seems difficult to believe in light of their conversational habits :P
I think its because scars derived from verbal cut-downs delivered in a sweet sultry voice last longer.
According to the WSJ (paywall), the name is an homage to Trump (bigly) and the site was founded by Patrick Howley, formerly of Breitbart and Daily Caller. It’s owned by Mustard Seed Media, run by Republican campaign operatives.
The article also had the interesting tidbit that the Republican Governors Association handled opposition research for the Gillespie campaign.
Wow.
Someone needs to lose their job.
Based on that & their passive history, I don’t think it’s far fetched to think they sat on/deliberately didn’t use information. Failure Theatre is alive and well.
Well whadayaknow! Trouble in the Democrat Paradise!
From a a Jonathan Martin tweet to NYT : NEW: “An extraordinary day turns chaotic as Fairfax suggests Northam is behind “a smear” aimed at blocking his ascent to the governorship and recounts a sexual encounter with a woman he said was “very interested in me.” “
OMG! it’s a racial slur! That’s what it is! Northam is clearly a racist bigot from the White Patriarchy and is unwilling to surrender his seat rightfully to Fairfax!
As former editor of the Richmond News Leader, James J. Kilpatrick (see “Jane, you ignorant . .”) once observed “Politics is a contact sport.” We (I) can hate it and kind of love it at the same time.
I was pointing to Trump’s liaisons with women not his wife. At least Obama did not cheat on Michelle.
Ben Franklin wrote a book about liaisons with women not his wife. Is he off and under the bus too?
I can see Gary’s point about the marriage fidelity of Dubya and Buraq, but as far as governance goes Orange Man Bad has them both beat by a mile. You could also throw in Jimmy Carter as one who likely didn’t cheat on his wife but who failed us miserably as a President. Unfortunately, other than their spousal fidelity, some of the ethical choices of both Buraq and Jimmy were also pretty downright disgusting.
You have no real way of knowing the latter. You are just predisposed to believe it. It’s why discussions of this sort are fruitless.
It doesn’t look good for the Washington Post either way.
First Lt. Gov. Fairfax (who would replace racist baby-killer Ralph Northam as Governor) says the Washington Post didn’t publish news of the accusations of sexual assault against him because after months of investigating, they couldn’t find any evidence to corroborate the accusation.
The Washington Post jumps in to say not true! Plus, here is what he’s accused of doing! and come out with all the awful details.
So . . . if they sat on it because the story couldn’t be corroborated, but are sharing all the details now to counter Fairfax’s statement, it’s pretty lousy of them to publish something they can’t corroborate.
But if they actually could corroborate it, then it’s awful for them to hide a sexual assault to protect a progressive politician.
Either way, the Washington Post once again covers itself in shame.
Well, who would have reported on it if he did?
Well Drew and Gary,
We have very bad news for you Gary. We have now this youtube video out today:
“Barack Obama follows Gay Sex Toys Twitter Account called Flashback”
Now maybe this video is a complete fraud. This problem is that we have several commenters here at Ricochet who have repeatedly and incessantly accused Donald Trump of horrible things without the slightest bit of evidence.
Comparatively the evidence in this video is pretty damning or it is a really good fake so if the Tin Foil Never Trumper Nutter gang wants to keep it up, it is going to have to live with the consequences and have their Progressive heroes ripped to shreds for there is much dirt to go around.
“What is good for goose is good for gander” is an old saying that seems very apt here.
So perhaps Buraq did cheat on Michelle – with a man.
No. Mutually assured destruction. And the governor/Lt. governor situation is a clear indictment of the GOP failure to run effective opponent research. A medical school year book isn’t that hard to find. I say we make the Party of the Klan own it, and hang their entitled abuse of women (and men in some cases) on them hard.