Virginia Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax pushed back against accusations of sexual assault Wednesday, insisting his interactions with Vanessa Tyson and Meredith Watson were “100 percent” consensual and promising to make public results of his recent polygraph tests.
In a news conference Wednesday morning, Fairfax decried recent TV interviews with the two women as sensationalizing false allegations, stating that while all women should be heard, the accusations pitted against him are not credible, and that he deserved to be treated fairly and under due process.
Fairfax has been mired in scandal after Tyson and Watson leveled their accusations in February. Tyson said Fairfax forced her to perform oral sex in 2004. Watson said Fairfax raped her in 2000 when both were students at Duke University.
Their allegations have received new attention after televised interviews this week with CBS News in which they described their experiences.
Watson said in the interview, aired Tuesday, that she’s been subjected to intense scrutiny since accusing Fairfax of raping her when both were students at Duke University in 2000.
Fairfax said he is willing to answer questions under oath, acknowledging that the conduct alleged would be criminal. He remained adamant that the incidents brought up by both women did not occur as described.
His lawyer has asked prosecutors in Boston, Massachusetts, and Durham, North Carolina — where the women say the assaults took place — to investigate the allegations, Fairfax said. He said he would cooperate fully with the investigations.
Fairfax said he is confident the investigations will reach the same conclusions as a polygraph test he said he’s releasing Wednesday that showed he is innocent.
WTOP’s Max Smith and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
