Harris, Gillibrand say assault allegation against Virginia Lt. Gov. should be investigated
Democratic senators and White House hopefuls Kamala Harris and Kirsten Gillibrand want there to be an investigation into what they both call the "credible" sexual assault allegation against Virginia Democratic Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax.
Speaking to reporters in the Senate, Harris didn't call for Fairfax's resignation outright. But she made clear that the full account, detailed in a lengthy statement by the alleged victim on Wednesday, only raises more serious questions she wants Fairfax to answer.
"The letter written by the woman reads as a credible account and I think there should be an investigation to get to the bottom of it," Harris said.
"Her letter reads as—it's quite detailed and suggests there's credibility there—that there needs to be an investigation to determine what exactly happened."
And Gillibrand tweeted shortly after Harris's comments that Tyson "showed enormous courage in coming forward, and her very credible claims require investigation."
"In this country, institutional bias stacks against survivors, for the powerful. We have to support survivors first so their claims can be fully investigated," Gillibrand added.
On Wednesday, Fairfax's accuser, said in a detailed statement that Fairfax forced her into oral sex after "consensual kissing" in a hotel room during the 2004 Democratic National Convention in Boston.
"I cannot believe, given my obvious distress, that Mr. Fairfax thought this forced sexual act was consensual," she wrote.
"To be very clear, I did not want to engage in oral sex with Mr. Fairfax and I never gave any form of consent. Quite the opposite. I consciously avoided Mr. Fairfax for the remainder of the convention and I never spoke to him again."
Fairfax responded to the allegation in a statement where he said: "Reading Dr. Tyson's account is painful. I have never done anything like what she suggests."
"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," he added.
The allegation comes as the two other top Democrats in Virginia, Gov. Ralph Northam and Attorney General Mark Herring, deal with revelations they dressed in blackface years ago.