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Virginia Democratic Congressman Bobby Scott has been informed of allegations of sexual assault on Lieutenant-Governor Justin Fairfax more than a year ago by the alleged victim herself , learned ABC News.
Scott became aware of the allegations directly from Ms. Vanessa Tyson, who issued Wednesday a statement in which she described the alleged assault of 2004, which had occurred at the National Convention of Democrats in Boston.
Fairfax vehemently denies the complaint of aggression.
In a statement to ABC News on Wednesday, Scott wrote, "Allegations of sexual assault must be taken seriously – I have known Professor Tyson for about a decade and she is a friend. the opportunity to tell his story, heard. "
Obtained by ABC News Aids to Scott confirms to ABC News that Tyson is the first On October 20, 2017, he contacted him by email, claiming that she was "not a fan" of the candidate of the 39, then the lieutenant governor of Virginia, Justin Fairfax.
In an email of November 29, Tyson expressed her aversion to Fairfax and wrote that she would like to "talk about it" with Congressman Scott.
Aids to Scott argues that he had not been informed at that time of an allegation of sexual assault in 2004 against Fairfax.
In an exchange of text messages between Scott and Tyson in December 2017, she informed him that the now elected lieutenant-governor had a "MeToo allegation", but at the time, the congressman did not did not know that she was the accuser, according to the helpers.
Steve Helber / AP At the end of December 2017 and early From January 2018, Scott's collaborators stated that he had learned that it was Tyson herself who was involved in a "MeToo claim" regarding Fairfax. She also informed her that she had previously informed the Washington Post of an alleged incident involving Fairfax and that she had given the name of Scott, a member of Congress, as a witness to morality.
Pressed by ABC News, assistants said that they did not know what the congressman had done with this information, but that he had told Tyson that he had agreed to talk to the Washington Post.
Scott himself had previously been accused of sexual harassment by a former assistant, who claimed to have touched her improperly while she was working in his Washington office in 2013. He rejected the claim .
According to Aides, Scott submits that Tyson never raised the allegations in the many years of knowledge since the period between December 2017 and January 2018.
In a lengthy statement released Wednesday, Tyson recounted in detail the incident with Fairfax.
"On the night of Friday, February 1, 2019, I read several reports indicating that the Governor of Virginia, Justin Fairfax, would likely be elevated to the rank of governor as a result of a scandal. involving Governor Ralph Northam, this new mundane has flooded with painful memories, resurrecting feelings of grief, shame and anger following an incident with Mr. Fairfax in July 2004 at the Democratic National Convention in New York. Boston, "Tyson wrote in a statement published through his legal team.
In her statement, she explained in detail what she had originally said as a consensual encounter and "quickly turned into sexual assault". Tyson then wrote, "After the assault, I felt both a deep humiliation and a great shame.I did not talk about this for years and, like most survivors I have removed these memories and emotions as a necessary way to continue my studies and pursue my goal of building a successful academic career. "
ABC News has also obtained a statement of support from a friend of Tyson.
This person spoke to Tyson in October 2017 and does not want to be identified for fear of harassment and threats.
"Vanessa has always been frank and factual to me and has not changed regarding this incident," said the statement from the friend, "I trust her infinitely and I know how this incident haunted and traumatized her, she told me and because I knew her well and that I heard anguish in her voice. She seemed resigned, but disgusted, frustrated and exasperated in a way that I can sadly recognize from personal experience. "
ABC News also reviewed text messages that corroborate this friend 's statement that she reportedly spoke to Tyson about the October 2017 incident.
Tyson hired the legal services of Katz, Marshall and Banks, the same law firm retained by Dr. Christine Blasey Ford, professor of psychology in California, who accused Brett Kavanaugh, President Trump's candidate for the Supreme Court United States, sexual misconduct. Kavanaugh denied the charges and was later confirmed by the US Senate.
In a statement, Fairfax states that it takes the situation "very seriously."
"With respect to the allegation made against me – although this allegation is both surprising and offensive, I also acknowledge that no one charges such charges lightly. , and I take it very seriously and this situation, "wrote Fairfax. in a statement Wednesday. "It's been a couple of emotional days for me and my family.And in my remarks on Monday, I think you can hear how much dealing with an allegation that I know is not true has been moving for me. "
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