2nd woman accuses Virginia Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax of sexual assault



RICHMOND, Va. – A second woman has come forward accusing Virginia's Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax of sexual assault.

Lawyers for Meredith Watson released a statement Friday saying that she was raped by Fairfax while they were both Duke University students in 2000, and called for Fairfax’s resignation.

The statement reads:

We serve as counsel for Meredith Watson, who was raped by Justin Fairfax in 2000, while they were both students at Duke University. Mr. Fairfax’s attack was premeditated and aggressive. The two were friends but never dated or had any romantic relationship.

Ms. Watson shared her account of the rape with friends in a series of emails and Facebook messages that are now in our possession. Additionally, we have statements from former classmates corroborating that Ms. Watson immediately told friends that Mr. Fairfax had raped her.

Ms. Watson was upset to learn that Mr. Fairfax raped at least one other woman after he attacked her. The details of Ms. Watson’s attack are similar to those described by Dr. Vanessa Tyson.

At this time, Ms. Watson is reluctantly coming forward out of a strong sense of civic duty and her belief that those seeking or serving in public office should be of the highest character. She has no interest in becoming a media personality or reliving the trauma that has greatly affected her life. Similarly, she is not seeking any financial damages.

On behalf of our client, we have notified Justin Fairfax through his attorneys that Ms. Watson hopes he will resign from public office.


This comes days after Dr. Vanessa Tyson accused Fairfax of sexual assault at the 2004 Democratic National Convention, where they both worked. According to a statement by Tyson, she says what began as “consensual kissing” turned into a sexual assault.

Fairfax said he remembered a “consensual encounter” with Tyson, but said reading her account was “painful” and that he had “never done anything like what she suggests.”

The top three Democrats in Virginia’s state government are currently contending with various controversies, including Gov. Ralph Northam and state Attorney General Mark Herring admitting to having worn blackface in the 1980s. The trio of controversies has thrown Virginia politics into chaos, as state Democrats look for the best way to move past the swirling issues.

CNN Wire contributed to this report.