RICHMOND, Va. -- Virginia's Lt. Governor Justin Fairfax says he has "never done anything like" the accusations outlined by Dr. Vanessa Tyson in her account of an alleged 2004 sexual assault.
"Reading Dr. Tyson's account is painful. I have never done anything like what she suggests," Fairfax wrote in a statement released Wednesday evening,his second of the day.
"As I said in my statement this morning, I have nothing to hide.
Any review of the circumstances would support my account, because it is the truth. I take this situation very seriously and continue to believe Dr. Tyson should be treated with respect. But, I cannot agree to a description of events that simply is not true.
I support the aims of the MeToo movement and I believe that people should always be heard and the truth should be sought. I wish Dr. Tyson the best as I do our Commonwealth."
The latest statement comes hours after his accuser, Dr. Vanessa Tyson, issued a statement through her legal team detailing the events of the alleged assault at the 2004 Democratic National Convention.
Tyson said she came forward February 1, after she learned Fairfax might become Governor of Virginia as a result of Governor Northam’s blackface yearbook photo page.
“This news flooded me with painful memories, bringing back feelings of grief, shame, and anger that stemmed from an incident with Mr. Fairfax that occurred in July 2004 during the Democratic National Convention in Boston,” Dr. Tyson’s statement read.
Tyson's statement comes days after Fairfax initially went public calling the accusations “totally fabricated.”
