Virginia Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax on Monday accused The Washington Post of “smearing” him by reporting the details of an allegation of sexual assault against him from 15 years ago and threatened legal action, in the latest political bombshell to rock Richmond.
A statement released by the Democrat’s office said, “The Washington Post, acknowledging that it had no corroboration, just smeared an elected official. We reiterate that this allegation is false. At no time has the lieutenant governor assaulted anyone at any time or at any place.”
Earlier Monday, the newspaper acknowledged that it had investigated the allegation against Fairfax over a year ago but “could not find anyone who could corroborate” the story. The paper, though, reported details Monday about the accusation after a right-wing website made the allegation public.
“This type of smear is what we meant when we said that politics and the coverage of it needs to rise to a higher level that befits our country and the 400-year history of our Commonwealth,” the statement from Fairfax’s office read. “This is what we meant when we said that people who continue to spread these false allegations will be sued.
“We ask further: What other major elected official in the Commonwealth of Virginia would be smeared with sexual allegations that were presented without corroboration?” the statement said.
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The allegation against Fairfax surfaced on the website Big League Politics, the same right-wing political blog that published the now-infamous yearbook photo showing someone in blackface and someone in a KKK costume on Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam's 1984 yearbook page.
In its Monday story, the Washington Post reported the Fairfax statement “incorrectly” claimed the paper found “significant red flags and inconsistencies within the allegations.”
“Fairfax and the woman told different versions of what happened in the hotel room with no one else present,” the paper reported. “The Washington Post could not find anyone who could corroborate either version.”
The Washington Post didn’t name the accuser. However, the paper reported that Fairfax and the woman first met in Boston at the 2004 Democratic National Convention.
“The woman described a sexual encounter that began with consensual kissing and ended with a forced act that left her crying and shaken,” The Post reported. “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 statement from Fairfax said that before Big League Politics posted about it, “not one other reputable media outlet has seen fit to air this false claim. Only now, at a time of intense media attention surrounding Virginia politics, has this false claim been raised again.”
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Speaking to reporters in Richmond on Monday, Fairfax discussed his relationship with the accuser, saying he was 25 and unmarried when they met at the convention. He denied any wrongdoing, calling it a “consensual encounter.” Fairfax called it a “totally fabricated story” and questioned the timing.
“Such a shame this is weaponized and used as a smear because this is a very real issue,” Fairfax said.
His denial came amid a political firestorm in Virginia, as a photo of the governor emerged showing a man in blackface and another in Ku Klux Klan garb in his 1984 medical school yearbook. On Monday, the president of The College of William & Mary said Northam no longer will attend events on campus Friday because of the controversy.
Northam has denied being in the photo, although he initially admitted he was in the picture. Instead, Northam on Saturday acknowledged darkening his face for another occasion that same year, when he dressed as singer Michael Jackson as part of a talent contest.
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Northam asserted repeatedly over the weekend that he would not resign from his post, despite a wave of criticism from 2020 Democratic presidential hopefuls, Democratic lawmakers and Republicans demanding he leave office.
If Northam did agree to resign from his post, Fairfax would assume the governorship. Over the weekend, Fairfax condemned the racist photo and said he "cannot condone the actions from his past." Fox News has learned that Fairfax was not invited to a meeting Northam held Sunday evening with his aides.
The photo resurfaced after Northam sparked outrage last week with comments about a controversial abortion bill that one sponsor had said could allow women to terminate a pregnancy up until the moment before birth.
Northam reportedly spent much of Sunday inside his home meeting with close advisers who—to at least some degree—have differing opinions on how to proceed. Some said they wanted the governor to fight through and work to rebuild his image. Pam Northam, the state’s first lady, wanted her husband to continue to fight, the paper reported citing two sources.
Fox News' Garrett Tenney, Brooke Singman and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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