The short answer is, “No. Not yet.”
People on both the right and the left will be riled up by this response, but let’s be clear. There’s a very thin line between believing women, which we should, and wanting an investigation as well as due process, which we should also want. Are the allegations serious? Yes. Are the credible? Absolutely. Now, let’s take the step of having a full investigation to determine whether or not there’s enough here to request or require Virginia Lt. Governor Justin Fairfax to resign.
One piece of information that hurts Fairfax’s claims of innocence is the fact that Dr. Vanessa Tyson informed media and possibly even Representative Bobby Scott (D-VA) of the allegations when Fairfax was running for office.
There are obvious correlations between the Fairfax accusations and those against Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh. Both happened a long time ago. Both accusations were made when the alleged assaulter was in the process of running or being confirmed for a powerful office. The real difference, though, is that Kavanaugh’s accuser Dr. Christine Blasey Ford has always been against Kavanaugh’s politics while Dr. Tyson is politically aligned with Fairfax. In other words, there’s no possible political motivation for making the accusation.
That’s not to say Dr. Blasey Ford was lying or Dr. Tyson is telling the truth, but there seems to be more credibility in Dr. Tyson’s claims. She has specific details that Ford did not.
Back to the real issue: should Fairfax resign? Not yet. If an investigation reveals Dr. Tyson’s accusations are credible and likely, the pressure for him to resign should rise. If he’s demonstrated beyond a reasonable doubt to be guilty, then he should not only resign immediately but should face criminal charges if possible.
We must remain consistent. Tribal loyalties must always be thrown out the window when crimes are accused. We must be beholden to the truth first and foremost even if that truth is politically inconvenient. Consistency is key.
