Virginia Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax (D) filed a $400 million defamation suit against CBS News on Thursday, claiming on-air interviews with 2 women who accused him of sexual assault caused him "emotional distress," WTKR, a CBS affiliate, reports.
What he's saying: Fairfax asserts that CBS had details before the stories aired "indicating that both allegations had not been corroborated by any independent investigation." The lawsuit says, Fairfax's "once promising career and political prospects have been severely harmed by the reckless airing of these false allegations."
Background: Fairfax refused to resign when Meredith Watson and Vanessa Tyson came forward with their allegations in February. He says the interactions were consensual, and took a polygraph test to support his denial.
- Both women have requested a hearing to address the allegations, but Fairfax has to date refused.
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