Virginia’s Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax reportedly made a vulgar reference to the woman who accused him of sexual assault in 2004, an encounter he claims was consensual.
“Fuck that bitch,” Fairfax said in a closed-door meeting with his staff, sources told NBC News.
Justin Fairfax said “fuck that bitch” as he tried to discredit his accuser during a private meeting Monday night, sources tell @NBCNews’ @GeoffRBennett and me.
— Jonathan Allen (@jonallendc) February 6, 2019
Fairfax’s chief of staff, Lawrence Roberts, denied the report, saying Fairfax used those words in regards to his accuser, Vanessa Tyson, who is a professor from California.
“Absolutely not true,” Roberts said, according to the Washington Post. “I was there.”
Justin Fairfax’s chief of staff denies that Fairfax said “fuck that bitch” in regards to Vanessa Tyson at a private Monday night meeting, as reported by @NBCPolitics.
“Absolutely not true. I was there.”
— Fenit Nirappil (@FenitN) February 6, 2019
At the same time NBC’s reporting came out, Fairfax released a statement admitting acting “emotional” during remarks on Monday.
He also asked the media and the public to treat Tyson and Fairfax’s family with respect.
“I wish her no harm or humiliation, nor do I seek to denigrate her or diminish her voice,” Fairfax said.
NEW: Virginia Lt Gov Justin Fairfax released a new statement about the sexual assault allegations against him pic.twitter.com/vNGNVvW0wO
— Laura Litvan (@LauraLitvan) February 6, 2019
The Fairfax controversy surfaced shortly after his boss, Gov. Ralph Northam, became embroiled in one of his own related to a racist photo found in his 1984 medical school yearbook.
Northam so far has refused to bow to increasing pressure to resign over the controversy stemming from a photo that shows one man dressed up in blackface and another in Ku Klux Klan garb. Northam denies he was in the photo but did admit he wore blackface for a Michael Jackson costume in the 1980s.
Fairfax is the next in line to be governor if Northam steps down.
On Wednesday, Virginia Attorney General Mark Herring, next in line behind Fairfax to become governor, admitted to wearing blackface at a college party in 1980.
