After the charges of racism against the Democratic Governor of the state of Virginia, harassment charges against his deputy make for additional vortex. Vice-Governor Justin Fairfax, who would take over the office of Ralph Northam in the event of a resignation, rejected the allegations of a woman sharply yesterday.
The 39-year-old said the meeting in a hotel room fifteen years ago had been „one hundred percent consensual.“ He had „absolutely no inappropriate contact“ with the woman, Fairfax told reporters. Years later, a „completely invented story out of the blue“ comes to harm his political career. The story is „used as a weapon and used for a dirt campaign.“
Racist photo in university yearbook
Northam had previously been in trouble for a racist photo of his student days. The photo, published in 1984 in the yearbook of his university, shows a person in the white robe of the racist Ku Klux Klan and a second person with a black make-up. Both the Republican and Democratic parties have called for Northam to resign. The governor refused.
On the photo, Northam delivered contradictory explanations: On Friday, the 59-year-old had initially confirmed that he was one of the costumed in the photo, and apologized for it: The disguise was „clearly racist and offensive.“ On Saturday, a turnaround followed: Northam withdrew his statement and denied being pictured in the photo.
The photo from Northam’s yearbook was first posted on the Web by a conservative website and then adopted by several US media. The same website now also reported on the harassment allegations.
