Although outgoing Gov. Ralph Northam profusely apologized for being identified as the man in blackface in a now infamous picture, he soon insisted it was a case of mistaken identity.
Now, with hours left in his term, Northam says he’s “99% sure” who wore blackface in the photograph on his page of the 1984 Eastern Virginia Medical School’s yearbook.
At the same time, Northam has admitted to wearing blackface as part of a Michael Jackson costume.
As Fox News reports:
Northam told The Washington Post that he has been in contact with the man he believes appears in the photo, saying he is “99% sure” he found the real blackface wearer. Northam told the paper that the man’s name is alphabetically “very close to mine.”
“There have been two thorough investigations into this, and we have nothing more to add,” spokeswoman Alena Yarmosky wrote in an email to inquiring outlets. “As the Governor has said repeatedly, what matters most is the work that this administration has done to listen to Virginians, learn from them, and take action to address systemic racism and inequities across the board. That’s what he has been focused on throughout his administration, and that is what matters.”
Sen. Tim Kaine previously demanded Northam step down over the scandal – yet Northam did not step down, and Kaine recently said he was “glad” the governor remained in office.
In fact, Kaine called Northam the most consequential Virginia governor of the modern era, according to the Post.