Video: Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax – “I did not assault Vanessa Tyson. I did not assault Meredith Watson. I look forward to clearing my good name.”

From Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax, speaking earlier today (see partial transcript and video, below):

“Over the past 48 hours, two women have spoken on national television about allegations they have made against me, based on events of nearly 15 and 20 years ago. These allegations, if true, would be incredibly serious. Because they are not true, however, they are incredibly hurtful to me, my family and my reputation, which I’ve spent a lifetime building. I believe that anyone willing to come forward with allegations of sexual misconduct should be heard fairly and fully, taken seriously and treated respectfully.  It is very important for truth to be established…As the person accused, I also deserve to be treated fairly, seriously and respectfully. A just society requires fairness and  due process.

In that regard, I do not believe that national television appearances or legislative hearings are the right vehicles to get…the truth. Sensationalizing allegations does not make them true. Yet airing salacious allegations without any evidence does enormous damage…I voluntarily submitted to a polygraph test…I passed each of those tests on the very first try…My attorney has, at my direction, requested that the prosecutors in Boston…and in Durham…launch an investigation of these allegations and I’ve offered my full cooperation. I will answer any and all questions, and I am willing to do so under oath and under penalty of perjury.

Over the years, I have built a reputation as a committed public servant…I have stood up for women and victims of criminal behavior. Make no mistake, if the facts alleged by Dr. Tyson and Ms. Watson were true, the conduct would be criminal. Such conduct is against everything I have stood for in both my public and private life. In my 40 years, noone has ever alleged that I have ever done anything like what either of these women describe – allegations that were both first made public at the very moment that it appeared I might become governor of this great Commonwealth…I cannot begin to tell you the pain that these false allegations have caused me and my family…I do not want these false allegations to be a reason for Virginians to doubt my ability to serve them effectively…

…I am here today to make sure that people hear about what actually occurred. Many years ago, when I was 25 years ago and Dr. Tyson was 28 years old, we had a consensual encounter. Years before that, when I was 21 years old and in college, I had a consensual encounter with Meredith Watson…

While Dr. Tyson has stated definitively that she met, interacted and had a conversation with me on July 26, 2004, the first day of the convention, in fact, Sen. Edwards and I were not in Boston on that date. We did not arrive in Boston from North Carolina until the following day. After I arrived, I met Dr. Tyson in passing…As young adults and students, we spent time together talking. I invited her to my hotel room, where we engaged in completely consensual activity. I have heard Dr. Tyson say that I held her neck and physically forced her to engage in sexual contact. That is simply not true. What she alleges never happened. At no time did I force any contact. She has also said that she was visibly upset and crying. That also is not true. At no time was she crying or did she express and concern, reluctance or discomfort. Her demeanor never changed throughout the entire encounter. We engaged in friendly banter after leaving the room. Dr. Tyson has said that after our encounter we had no further contact. That too is not true. In fact, she reached out to me more than once after the convention had ended and we spoke several times in the weeks after the convention…even invited me to meet her mother. I did not respond, and our relationship did not continue…

…As regard to Ms. Watson, I knew [her] when we were both in college at Duke University. We had many mutual friends and saw each other often. While she and I had never previously had a physical or romantic relationship, we were friendly with each other. On one occasion late in my senior year…she initiated a consensual encounter with me. I did not rape or sexually assault Meredith Watson. I did not lock the door. I did not turn out the lights. I did not hold her down or use any physical force whatsoever. We were both willing participants…At no time before, during or after our encounter did she ever say or do anything that suggested to me in any way that she believed that she thought anything that happened between us was something she had not wanted or that she was uncomfortable with…

…I knew that the allegations made against me were false from the moment I first heard them. That is why I denied them. Because I was confident that what I was saying was true, I voluntarily submitted to two separate polygraph examinations…I passed both tests on the first try…Today, I am providing a full report of my polygraph examinations to the media and the public, so that all Virginians can read the report themselves. They will see that the accounts of what happened…that I have provided today are the same as what I said in the polygraph examinations…

…I have repeatedly asked for an investigation by law enforcement professionals…who have the tools and the training to determine whether or not the allegations are true. Therefore, at my direction, my attorney has contacted the District Attorney’s office in Boston, Massachusetts and the District Attorney’s office in Durham, North Carolina…My attorney has asked each office to launch an investigation of these allegations, if they have not done so already…I will cooperate fully in these investigations…I will make myself available to them to answer any and all questions they might have, including under oath and penalty of perjury…

I am telling the truth. I did not assault Vanessa Tyson. I did not assault Meredith Watson. I look forward to clearing my good name.  More importantly, I look forward to being able to be a husband and a father without having my loved ones read and hear false accusations about me. And I look forward to going back to work for the people of Virginia who I am honored to serve…

P.S. The polygraph results are here and below the video. Also note that LG Fairfax did not take questions after he delivered his statement, although a couple questions were shouted at him by reporters, including “these allegations are not going away, why wouldn’t you just resign” and “why do you think those women came forward?”