A Virginia Democratic delegate who planned to introduce articles of impeachment against Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax now isn’t so sure.
On Friday, Del. Patrick Hope tweeted that he would begin impeachment proceedings against Fairfax, a Democrat, if he had not resigned by Monday. Fairfax faces allegations from two women on sexual assault and rape, both of which he denies.
On Monday, I will be introducing articles of impeachment for Lt. Governor Justin Fairfax if he has not resigned before then.
— Patrick Hope (@HopeforVirginia) February 8, 2019
But Hope, on Monday, after circulating a draft impeachment resolution among colleagues, said it’s too early for such proceedings.
“I received an enormous amount of sincere and thoughtful feedback, which has led me to the conclusion that additional conversations need to take place before anything is filed,” Hope said in a statement.
My statement this morning – I remain committed to the victims first. pic.twitter.com/01xynHwOdj
— Patrick Hope (@HopeforVirginia) February 11, 2019
Fairfax would be the next person in line for the Virginia governorship if embattled Gov. Ralph Northam resigned, or was pushed out, after a scandal involving a racist medical school yearbook photograph linked to the governor.
Northam, a Democrat, said he has no intention of stepping down and told the Washington Post that he will dedicate the remaining three years of his governorship to race equity.
After the photo controversy, which included someone in blackface and another in Ku Klux Klan garb, and with Fairfax in line to become governor, Vanessa Tyson spoke out. She recounted an alleged 2004 incident in which she said Fairfax forced her to perform oral sex on him.
Later another woman, Meredith Watson, accused Fairfax of raping her in 2000 when they were both undergraduate students at Duke University.
In addition to denying both claims, Fairfax has said he won’t resign.
