The U.S. Supreme Court will consider the fate of the Commonwealth’s legislative map, which could again change the potential outcome of the 2019 elections following the unveil of the new map drawn by the court-appointed special master.
Politifact Rates Delegate Chris Jones’ ‘Republican Diversity’ Claim In Virginia Legislature ‘True’
“Republicans have had more African-Americans on key committees than when the Democrats were in control,” said House Appropriations Committee Chairman Chris Jones (R-Suffolk).
After Democrats Obstruct, House GOP Announces Fairfax Hearings Will Move Forward
One day after House Democrats shut down investigations into accusations of sexual assault leveled against Lieutenant Governor Justin Fairfax, a top House Republican announced that the GOP will give Fairfax’s accusers the opportunity to testify before the General Assembly, per their request.
Delegate Rob Bell (R-Albemarle), who chairs the Courts of Justice committee which holds jurisdiction, announced on the floor that the GOP would not let Democrats’ refusal to participate prevent the hearings from moving forward.
“We tried to work diligently with our colleagues across the aisle to create a bipartisan way to investigate,” said Delegate Bell. “We proposed a special subcommittee that would have been five-five. Five Republicans, five Democrats, to hear testimony, issue subpoenas, and conduct the investigation. That was declined.”
For the past week, House GOP leaders had tried to obtain the cooperation of Democratic lawmakers, whose interest in pursuing hearings waned after party leadership blocked an effort by Delegate Patrick Hope (D-Arlington) to introduce articles of impeachment against Fairfax. Hope said that would create a process for moving forward.
House Republicans had proposed a special subcommittee of the Courts of Justice Committee, to consist of five Democrats and Five Republicans, charged with hearing testimony, issuing subpoenas, and investigating the charges against Lieutenant Governor Fairfax.
Under House rules, actions by the committee require a majority, meaning that the committee would be unable to act along party lines.
House Speaker Kirk Cox (R-Colonial Heights), who proposed the concept, said that adherence to bipartisanship was necessary to handle what he called a sensitive matter.
After repeated attempts to work with their Democratic colleagues, Republicans said, Democratic leadership rebuffed all offers, saying they wished for the matter to be handled by out-of-state investigators.
Cox responded that Democrats were offering “excuses” and attempting to “run out the clock” with only days left in the scheduled legislative session. He added that the House had a “duty” to investigate.
That duty was again referenced by Bell in his announcement, in which he cited the rules of the House of Delegates.
“The rules of the House are clear,” Bell added. “Rule 18 says, ‘It shall be the duty of each committee to inquire into the condition and administration of the laws relating to the subjects which it has in its charge, to investigate the conduct, and look to the responsibility of all public officers and agents concerned and to suggest such measures as will correct abuses to protect the public interests and promote the public welfare.'”
So far, House Democrats have resisted all efforts to hold hearings and hear testimony from Fairfax’s accusers.
Yesterday, in a rotunda press conference, House Minority Leader Eileen Filler-Corn (D-Springfield) avoided giving direct answers, even as Cox pressed for a “yes or no” response.
Filler-Corn said the General Assembly’s involvement might impede out of state criminal investigations, declining to commit to any hearings or investigation in Virginia when asked by reporters.
“Our concern really is about impeding a criminal investigation,” she said. “That is one of our concerns and we have laid that out and expressed that, communicated to them several times about that.”
The reporter asking the question said she failed to directly answer it.
“But you’re not directly answering this question that we’ve asked, I think, three times now,” said the reporter.
Cox was unequivocal in saying the General Assembly must act.
“I think it’s very essential that we have a formalized process that’s a bipartisan process, by which we really look at what happened, obviously, with Lieutenant Governor Fairfax,” said the speaker. “Give an opportunity to the two women to tell their story.”
Cox also noted that the hearings were requested by both of Fairfax’s accusers.
“The victims are asking for this,” added Cox. They’ve consistently asked for this. I think you’ve seen editorials in newspapers. I saw a letter today from Vanessa Tyson that is basically, and I think properly, calling us to take some action.”
“I think it’s very appropriate to get going on this, and that’s why I’ve been really pushing the Democrats to give me an answer. And they seem to be running out the clock.”
The legislative session is scheduled to conclude tomorrow, on Saturday. Bell said the hearings would occur at a future date, to be determined.
With Bell’s announcement, Fairfax’s accusers will get their public hearing and opportunity to testify, with or without Democrats participating in the process.
Fairfax, a former federal prosecutor, has denied the allegations, asking instead for an FBI investigation. The agency lacks jurisdiction to investigate.
Democrats Shut Down Bipartisan Investigation of Fairfax Accusations, Silence Victims of Sexual Assault
Days before the legislature adjourns, Democrats rejected calls for a bipartisan panel to investigate two claims of sexual assault against Lt. Governor Justin Fairfax. The eleventh-hour move would run out the clock, depriving the General Assembly of an avenue to investigate the claims.
Hopewell Delegate Riley Ingram Gives A Colorful, Folksy Farewell Address After 26 Years In Richmond
From dancing at the “Holiday Inn on Franklin Street” to “having a toddy on the floor,” Delegate Riley Ingram’s retirement speech is one for the books.
Virginia General Assembly Passes Measure To Study And Help Reduce Maternal Mortality Rates
A maternal mortality review team within the Virginia Department of Health will be created to study the causes behind pregnancy-associated and pregnancy-related deaths in the Commonwealth.
Former Gov. McAuliffe Quiets Calls For Resignations In Virginia’s Executive Branch
As all three political leaders of Virginia’s Democrat-led executive branch have dealt with racial and sexual scandals over the past two weeks, it seems that not only Attorney General Mark Herring (D), but also Governor Ralph Northam (D) may get off scot-free for appearing in racist photos. After a week of rapprochement of protests in front of the Executive Mansion in downtown Richmond and universal calls from his own party for his resignation, former Governor Terry McAuliffe (D) is also backing down his charge for Northam to leave office.
McAuliffe, a presumed 2020 Democratic presidential contender, appeared on CBS‘s “Face the Nation” to speak about the controversies in the Commonwealth, meanwhile peddling his new book “Beyond Charlottesville: Taking a Stand Against White Nationalism,” which is about how “Virginia and the country continue to deal with racism.”
While hitting off the segment with his new book, McAuliffe did not say a word about resignations, seemingly accepting Northam’s extraordinarily vague plan to redeem his image and his governorship with a “focus on race and equity.”
“I think he’s made a decision he’s going to stay in,” McAuliffe said of Northam, who was his own lieutenant governor while he was in charge of the Commonwealth until January 2018. McAuliffe added, “but the way that Ralph survives and brings Virginia back together, he’s got to lean in on these very important issues.”
Nevertheless, as Northam launches his “listening tour” throughout the Commonwealth to learn more about “race, history, and white privilege,” and other obvious things he apparently never knew, Lieutenant Governor Justin Fairfax (D) is also dealing with a deepening sexual assault scandal that has his staffers jumping ship and his part-time law firm employer suspending him.
Currently, Fairfax is battling back against two accusers, one who said he sexually assaulted her in 2004, and one who said he raped her while in college in 2000.
Dr. Vanessa Tyson, a Scripps College professor, has alleged that Fairfax sexually assaulted her at the 2004 Boston Democratic National Convention. In her statement published by the New York Times, Dr. Tyson said she came forward after the news of Fairfax’s likely elevation to the top political position in Virginia as the governor is embroiled in racial controversy, because it “flooded” her with “painful memories, bringing back feelings of grief, shame, and anger that stemmed from an incident with Mr. Fairfax.”
Meredith Wilson, a student at Duke University in 2000, while Fairfax also attended the North Carolina college, came forth days later with allegations that she was raped by Fairfax in a “premeditated and aggressive” fashion.
Fairfax has called the accusations “false and unsubstantiated,” a “totally fabricated story,” and “demonstrably false.” The lieutenant governor has also accused staffers of embattled Governor Northam for leaking the sexual assault allegations and engaging in a “vicious and coordinated smear campaign” to derail his pathway to the governor’s office.
When news of the second sexual assault allegation broke, McAuliffe wasted no time in calling for Fairfax’s “immediate” resignation on Twitter.
“The allegations against Justin Fairfax are serious and credible. It is clear to me that he can no longer effectively serve the people of Virginia as Lieutenant Governor. I call for his immediate resignation,” he said.
However, McAuliffe is now quieting his own requests and demanding an investigation into the allegations.
Commenting on the situation, McAuliffe said, “Very serious allegations have been made. They need to be investigated…So we will go through that process.”
Showing a willingness to investigate the alleged crimes, Virginia House of Delegates Speaker Kirk Cox (R-Colonial Heights) has said any inquiry must be bipartisan and “very deliberate.” However, House Democrats have blocked any probe by the General Assembly from moving forward, scuttling last week’s impeachment push by Delegate Patrick Hope (D-Arlington).
Regardless, McAuliffe’s remarks on Sunday suggest that Democratic leaders are coming around to accepting the scandalous status quo in Richmond. It could be that the party faithful have realized that a Republican would be in line for the governorship if all three in the executive branch resigned, or that, considering they came out and denounced Northam, Fairfax, and Herring, they feel they can remain in a position of moral high ground on issues of race, gender, and social justice.
Despite the situation looking more and more like a political double standard, Virginia’s top-three elected Democrats may end up holding on to their positions for the time being. Whether any of the three can go on to win higher offices still remains to be seen.
The other lurking question facing Virginia Democrats is whether the tainted triumvirate hurts the party as it looks to take control of both houses of the General Assembly in November’s elections, following its 15-seat gain in the House of Delegates in 2017. With a one-member majority in both the House and Senate, the longer the scandals roll on, the more dissatisfied the Democratic base could become, losing excitement at the ballot box.
Speaker Cox Renews Call for Bipartisan Investigation of Justin Fairfax Sexual Assault Allegations
Renewing his willingness to investigate, Speaker Cox has said any inquiry must be bipartisan and “very deliberate.” Meanwhile, House Democrats have blocked any inquiry by the General Assembly from moving forward, scuttling last week’s impeachment push by Democratic delegate Patrick Hope.
Federal Court Ruling Alters Virginia House of Delegates Map Ahead Of 2019 Elections
26 House districts in the Richmond and Hampton Roads metropolitan areas will be altered as Virginia’s redistricting case is still set to be heard by the U.S. Supreme Court on March 18.
General Assembly Elects Judge Teresa M. Chafin To Supreme Court Of Virginia
Judge Teresa M. Chafin was elected to the Supreme Court of Virginia, with the Honorable Clifford L. “Clay” Athey succeeding her on the Court of Appeals.