Virginia Democratic Representatives call on Fairfax to resign

WASHINGTON (FOX 5 DC) - Several representatives from Virginia drafted a statement on Friday calling on embattled Lieutenant Governor Justin Fairfax to resign.

Fairfax shot into the spotlight last Saturday after a picture on Gov. Ralph Northam's 1984 yearbook page surfaced featuring two men in racist costumes - one a man in blackface, and another a man in a Ku Klux Klan costume.

Since then, Fairfax has been accused by two different victims of sexually assaulting them.

On Friday, Virginia Democratic Representatives Don Beyer, Abigail Spanberger, Elaine Luria, Jennifer Wexton, and Gerry Connolly issued the following statement:

"The past seven days have been some of the most painful we can remember. It has been very difficult to marshal the thoughts, let alone the words, to react.

"The allegations raised by Dr. Vanessa Tyson and Meredith Watson raise two fundamental questions which Virginia's leaders are called to answer: do we believe them, and, if so, do we believe that Lt. Governor Justin Fairfax should continue to serve?

"We believe Dr. Vanessa Tyson. We found her account compelling and highly credible. The central issue at the heart of her account is consent, and there can be no better authority to decide whether it was given than Dr. Tyson herself. Meredith Watson's statement describes another extremely disturbing incident, which lends further credence to Dr. Tyson's story.

"All survivors of sexual violence and harassment deserve to be supported and heard, and our commitment to that principle is more important than any political consideration.

"The Lieutenant Governor of Virginia presides over the Virginia Senate and must be prepared to fill the role of Governor. It is unacceptable that either of these weighty responsibilities be entrusted to someone who has engaged in the behavior described by Dr. Tyson and Meredith Watson, particularly in light of Gov. Northam's situation, which we continue to believe requires his resignation.

"Lt. Governor Fairfax has also shown exceptionally poor judgment in his handling of these allegations. He repeatedly attacked his accuser, he reportedly used vile and degrading language to describe her, he mischaracterized an investigation into the encounter, and he sought to blame others for events in his own past. These actions do not meet the standard to which we hold Virginia's highest elected officers.

"For these reasons we believe that Justin Fairfax cannot continue to serve at Lt. Governor Of Virginia, and should step aside."