Virginia House Speaker Kirk Cox called on Attorney General Mark Herring to resign Wednesday, noting that Herring called on Gov. Ralph Northam to resign for wearing blackface. Herring admitted to wearing blackface on Wednesday.
On Wednesday, Herring admitted to wearing blackface during a college party in the 1980s to look like rapper Kurtis Blow. In the wake of the revelation, Herring resigned as co-chair of the Democratic Attorney Generals Association. Herring called on Gov. Ralph Northam to resign after a medical school yearbook photo showed two men– one of them in blackface and the other in Ku Klux Klan attire. Northam also admitted to wearing blackface.
Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax faces a sexual misconduct accusation and has faced similar calls to resign from politicians and public figures. If Northam, Fairfax, and Herring were to resign, Cox could become the next Republican governor of Virginia in nearly a decade. Breitbart News documented his political history here.
In a statement on Wednesday, Cox called on Herring to adhere to the same standard he applied to Gov. Northam and said he should resign.
Cox said:
The last seven days have been tumultuous for our Commonwealth. The revelations against and admissions by the leaders of the executive branch are disturbing. The allegations of sexual assault against Lt. Governor Fairfax are extremely serious. The Lt. Governor, the alleged victim, and Virginians all deserve a full airing of the facts.The belated admission from Attorney General Herring is shocking. He should adhere to the standard he has set for others or he loses credibility.
These current controversies will be resolved in due course. In the meantime, we will continue our work on the budget and the hundreds of bills remaining before us. The General Assembly will steadily continue with the business of governing on behalf of Virginia’s 8.4 million citizens. The people should be confident that our work continues unimpeded and that the Commonwealth’s 100,000 state employees also continue to serve without disruption. Our diverse Commonwealth has been deeply shaken by these developments, but nonetheless remains economically vibrant, fiscally sound, safe and secure.
Cox added, “We have weathered the storms of four centuries and will weather this one as well. We continue to pray for Virginia during this difficult time.”
Republican Party of Virginia (RPV) Chairman Jack Wilson also called on Herring to resign on Wednesday.
“The Republican Party of Virginia calls on Mark Herring to resign his post as Attorney General,” Wilson said in a statement. “Like we have had to say too many times this week, racism has no place in Virginia and dressing up in blackface is wholly unacceptable.”
“As we renew our call for Governor Northam’s resignation, we must regretfully add Mark Herring’s name to the list of Democratic elected officials that have lost the trust of the people of Virginia and have lost the moral authority to govern,” Wilson added.
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