Five people have told the New York Times that over the last 2 years, Vanessa Tyson has recounted an incident in which she was sexually assaulted at the 2004 Democratic National Convention. Three of those people said Tyson told them her assailant was Virginia Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax.
The big picture: The people say Tyson's accounts of the incident were largely consistent with the detailed statement she released this week, in which she claims Fairfax forced her to perform oral sex after what she initially considered a consensual encounter. Rep. Bobby Scott (D-Va.) also learned of Tyson's allegation roughly a year ago, well before discovering that Fairfax may be elevated to the position of governor due to the Ralph Northam blackface scandal. Fairfax has denied the allegation.