Second woman accuses Virginia Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax of sexual assault
A second woman, Meredith Watson, came forward on Friday to say that Virginia Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax (D) sexually assaulted her.
Through her legal team, Watson alleges that she "was raped by Justin Fairfax in 2000, while they were both students at Duke University." The statement calls the alleged assault "premeditated and aggressive" and says former classmates have corroborated her account.
Fairfax was accused of sexual assault by Vanessa Tyson earlier this week, who says he forced her to perform oral sex while they attended the Democratic National Convention in 2004. Fairfax denied Tyson's allegation, calling it "false and unsubstantiated" and insisting it was a "consensual encounter."
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The New York Times' Jonathan Martin reports that Fairfax is denying Watson's allegations; he has yet to release a statement in response to her claims. Read her full statement below, via The Guardian. Summer Meza
Update 5:10 p.m. EST: Fairfax issued a statement denying Watson's account, and said "I will not resign," instead calling for an investigation. He said there is a " vicious and coordinated smear campaign" targeting him and claimed her allegation is "demonstrably false."
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Summer Meza has worked at The Week since 2018, serving as a staff writer, a news writer and currently the deputy editor. As a proud news generalist, she edits everything from political punditry and science news to personal finance advice and film reviews. Summer has previously written for Newsweek and the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, covering national politics, transportation and the cannabis industry.
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