Fairfax denies ever sexually assaulting anyone. He has made clear that he does not intend to immediately step down, and has urged authorities to investigate.
“Frankly, we really want any entity with comprehensive investigative power to thoroughly look into these accusations,” Fairfax spokeswoman Lauren Burke said. “There needs to be verification of basic facts about these allegations. It feels like something bigger is going on here.”
Some political observers noted that the threshold to start an impeachment process is remarkably high in the House of Delegates. The lawmakers are set to leave town before February ends, and have limited time and resources to immediately take on the complicated issue.
Still, “a clear sign of the depth of LG Fairfax’s political crisis is the near-absence of voices in Virginia politics this weekend publicly urging him to remain in office,” University of Mary Washington political science professor Stephen Farnsworth said in an email.
If the Legislature is in session, the House would need a simple majority to vote to impeach Fairfax, said A.E. Dick Howard, a University of Virginia law professor. The Senate would then review evidence and hear testimony. That chamber would need a two-thirds vote to convict among senators who are present.
