Last Updated on February 15, 2020
The sex assault allegations against Virginia Democrat lieutenant governor Justin Fairfax have cost the Virginia Democrats a wealthy sponsor for their fundraising gala in Richmond Saturday night, which will feature presidential candidate Michael Bloomberg.
Fairfax has been accused of sex assault by two different women, including Dr. Vanessa Tyson, who claims she was assaulted by Fairfax at the 2004 Democratic National Convention in Boston while Fairfax was working for John Edwards, and also a Duke University classmate named Meredith Watson. Fairfax’s lawsuit against CBS for interviewing his accusers was dismissed earlier this week.
Fairfax lost his table at last year’s gala event.
Virginia Mercury reports: “In a statement Friday, Michael Bills, a Charlottesville investor who donated almost $1.5 million to Democratic committees last year, said he was withdrawing a “top-tier” gala sponsorship by Clean Virginia, the energy reform group whose board he chairs. Clean Virginia had agreed to be a $10,000 sponsor for the Democrats’ Blue Commonwealth Gala, which will take place Saturday night at Main Street Station in downtown Richmond. The group had not yet given the party a check, so there’s no demand for a refund.”…
“In the year since, he has used his position of power to further attack his accusers,” Bills said. “I remain resolute in my conviction that Fairfax needs to resign. Particularly coupled with the lack of hearings in the House of Delegates into the allegations against him, I am gravely concerned that granting Fairfax the honor of speaking at the gala sends an exculpatory message I do not believe is merited and in which Clean Virginia will have no part.”
Virginia Mercury passage ends
I broke the stories of Virginia Democrat governor Ralph Northam’s blackface yearbook photo and also Dr. Tyson’s allegation against Fairfax in 2019.