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U.S. NEWS Monday 11 February 2019

Possible impeachment could further upend Virginia politics

By ALAN SUDERMAN the Nation" that it's been a to testify at any impeach-
Associated Press difficult week since a racist ment hearing.
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Vir- photo in his 1984 medical The Associated Press gen-
ginia lawmakers on Mon- school yearbook surfaced, erally does not name peo-
day will reluctantly face showing a person wearing ple who say they are vic-
the unprecedented pros- blackface next to another tims of sexual assault, but
pect of impeaching the person in a Ku Klux Klan both women have come
state's second most power- hood and robe. Northam forward voluntarily.
ful leader as they struggle initially said he was in the Watson alleges Fairfax
to address revelations of photo, then denied it the raped her while they were
past racist behavior and al- next day, while acknowl- students at Duke University
legations of sexual assault edging that he did wear in 2000, her attorney said in
roiling its highest levels of blackface to a dance par- a statement. Tyson, a Cali-
office. ty that same year. fornia college professor,
At least one lawmaker said "Virginia needs someone accused Fairfax of forcing
he will try to pursue im- that can heal. There's no her to perform oral sex on
peachment of Democratic better person to do that him at a Boston hotel in
Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax after than a doctor," Northam 2004.q Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam talks during an interview at the
Governor's Mansion, Saturday, Feb. 9, 2019 in Richmond, Va.
two women accused Fair- said. "Virginia also needs Associated Press
fax of sexual assault in the someone who is strong,
2000s, a move that experts who has empathy, who has
believe would be a first in courage and who has a
Virginia. Fairfax has vehe- moral compass. And that's
mently denied the claims why I'm not going any-
and called for authorities, where."
including the FBI, to inves- The scandals have be-
tigate. come a full-blown crisis
There's little sign of broad for Virginia Democrats. Al-
appetite for impeachment, though the party has taken
with lawmakers set to fin- an almost zero-tolerance
ish this year's session by the approach to sexual mis-
month's end. But the Legis- conduct in the #MeToo
lature is swirling with ques- era, a housecleaning in Vir-
tions about lines of succes- ginia could be costly: If all
sion and the political fallout three Democrats resigned,
for Democrats should the Republican state House
governor, lieutenant gov- Speaker Kirk Cox would be-
ernor or attorney general come governor.
leave office, willingly or not. Political considerations will
Gov. Ralph Northam and be key to what comes next.
Attorney General Mark Virginia is among a handful
Herring, both Democrats, of states electing lawmak-
are embroiled in their own ers this year, and Demo-
scandal after acknowledg- crats had hoped to flip
ing they wore blackface in the Republican-controlled
the 1980s . General Assembly.
Northam, a pediatric neu- Democratic Del. Patrick
rologist, said Sunday that Hope said he wants to intro-
he considered resigning duce articles of impeach-
but that he's "not going ment Monday against Fair-
anywhere" because the fax, who is black. Meredith
state "needs someone that Watson and Vanessa Ty-
can heal" it. son have accused him of
Northam said on CBS' "Face sexual assault and offered