VA Delegate Pauses On Fairfax Impeachment, For Now

UNITED STATES - MARCH 1: Virginia state delegate Patrick Hope speaks during the Mount Vernon District Democratic Committee's annual Mardi Gras fundraiser at Don Beyer's Volvo car dealership in Alexandria, Va., on Sat... UNITED STATES - MARCH 1: Virginia state delegate Patrick Hope speaks during the Mount Vernon District Democratic Committee's annual Mardi Gras fundraiser at Don Beyer's Volvo car dealership in Alexandria, Va., on Saturday, March 1, 2014. Hope came in third in a straw poll with 10 other candidates vying to replace the retiring Rep. Jim Moran, D-Va. (Photo By Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call) MORE LESS
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Virginia Delegate Patrick Hope (D) will hold off on filing the paperwork to begin impeachment proceedings against Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax (D), saying in a statement on Monday he’s “open to discussions on other avenues that would accomplish the same goals.”

But Hope remained steadfast in his calls for Fairfax to resign following the allegations raised on Friday by a second woman who claims Fairfax sexually assaulted her. Hope said he was “absolutely horrified” by the accusations and said he believes “both of these brave women.”

“Lt. Governor Fairfax should have already resigned,” he said in his statement. “It is atrocious that he will be presiding over the Senate of Virginia today with these allegations. The message being sent to victims of sexual assault is chilling.”

Hope said he began the process of researching how to impeach a sitting lieutenant governor over the weekend — which has never happened in Virginia — and sent a draft of the resolution to other Democrats in his caucus. Members encouraged him to have some “additional conversations before anything is filed.”

Read Hope’s full statement below:

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