Politics

VA Dems Regret Initial Response To Northam, Fairfax Scandals

Mike Brest Reporter
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Multiple Virginia state Democratic officials expressed remorse at an event last week for how they handled the scandals that engulfed Democratic Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam and Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax.

InsideNova reported Wednesday that many state Democratic officials expressed regret during the Leadership Center for Excellence’s annual legislative breakfast last Friday.

Virginia Governor Ralph Northam speaks with reporters at a press conference at the Governor’s mansion on February 2, 2019 in Richmond, Virginia. (Alex Edelman/Getty Images)

“There were a lot of life lessons,” Democratic State Sen. Janet Howell stated at the event. “Don’t rush to judgment. I’m sorry we did.”

Another state senator, Barbara Favola, who called on Northam to resign before retracting that demand, added, “Statements were made before people even talked to the governor.”

Patrick Hope, the state representative who planned to file the impeachment paperwork if Fairfax didn’t resign, said, “It was like a snowball coming at you, bigger and bigger and bigger.”

Back in February, a decades-old yearbook photo of Northam resurfaced and it showed two men, one in blackface and the other in Ku Klux Klan garb. While Northam acknowledged he’s in the photo after denying it, which one he was remains uncertain.

A week later, a woman came forward and accused Fairfax of sexual assault from over a decade ago. Another woman later came forward to accuse Fairfax of similar behavior. (RELATED: Second Woman Accuses Virginia Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax Of Sexual Assault)

While both scandals unfolded, Democrats in Virginia and elsewhere called on both of them to resign. Despite the backlash, neither gave into the pressure to resign.

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