Police: Fmr Va. Lt. Gov. Fairfax Dead in Murder-Suicide (Connecting the Dots: Justin Fairfax, Morrison & Foerster, Duke University, Columbia University, Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr (WilmerHale) & The Carnegie/Soros Network)
Newsmax.com
Thursday,
16 April 2026 01:21 PM EDT
https://www.newsmax.com/politics/police-virginia-justin-fairfax/2026/04/16/id/1253141/
Former Virginia Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax, a rising star in the Democratic
Party before his career was derailed by sexual assault allegations several
years ago, killed his wife before killing himself, police said Thursday.
Fairfax,
47, and his wife, Dr. Cerina Fairfax, 49, were found dead in their home in the
Washington, D.C., suburb of Annandale after their teenage son called 911
shortly after midnight, Fairfax County Police Chief Kevin Davis said.
The
couple were separated and going through a divorce but living in the same house
with their two children, who were home when the shootings occurred, he said. A
court filing said the couple separated in 2024 and filed for divorce last year.
Justin
Fairfax was served recently with paperwork telling him when next to appear in
court, Davis said. In January, officers went to the home after Justin Fairfax
alleged that his wife had assaulted him, he said.
“Apparently,
Mrs. Fairfax, at some point during these divorce proceedings, set up a lot of
cameras inside the home. We reviewed those cameras, and we corroborated that
the alleged assault never occurred,” Davis said.
The
couple, who met as undergraduates at Duke University, had been married since
2006. Cerina Fairfax ran a family dentistry practice. After graduating from
Duke, she attended the Virginia Commonwealth University School of Dentistry,
which honored her in 2015 as its most outstanding alumna of the last decade.
A
profile page on her dental practice’s website described her as an avid reader
who liked to travel, practice yoga, go on trail runs with her Vizsla-breed
dogs, and “spend time with her wonderful family.”
“It’s
very sad for this community,” Davis said. “A lot of people who know the Fairfax
family, everybody’s shocked. We’re shocked.”
For a
brief period in 2019, Justin Fairfax seemed poised to become Virginia's second
Black governor as Democrat Gov. Ralph Northam became engulfed in a scandal
over a racist photo in his medical school yearbook that led to calls for his
resignation.
But
then two women came forward accusing Fairfax of sexually assaulting them years
earlier. He adamantly denied the allegations and was never charged.
Vanessa
Tyson said Fairfax — at the time a Columbia Law School student serving as an
aide to Democratic vice presidential nominee John Edwards — forced her to
perform oral sex in his hotel room during the Democratic National Convention in
Boston in 2004.
Two
days after Tyson’s statement, Meredith Watson issued her own, accusing Fairfax
of raping her in 2000, when they were students at Duke
University.
The
Associated Press generally doesn't name people who say they are victims of
sexual assault, but both women came forward publicly. Fairfax said the
encounters were consensual and refused calls to resign. Fairfax later tried to
run for governor in 2021, some said to clear his name, but was largely shunned
by Virginia Democrats.
Fairfax
said he believed voters would see through what he described as a smear campaign
against him. But he was defeated in the Democratic primary.
Court
filings show that Fairfax had financial challenges following the sexual assault
allegations, which prompted his resignation as a partner at a prestigious law
firm. The IRS filed a lien against the couple for more than $91,000 in unpaid
taxes that was resolved in 2021.
A
former federal prosecutor and civil litigator, Fairfax first unsuccessfully
sought the Democratic nomination for attorney general in 2013, then won the
race for lieutenant governor in 2017.
The
deaths stunned political leaders throughout the state.
“We are
keeping Cerina and Justin Fairfax’s family — especially their two children — in
our prayers as we all process this shocking and horrifying news,” Virginia’s
Democratic U.S. senators, Mark Warner and Tim Kaine, said in a joint statement.
Fairfax
had served as co-chair for Warner’s 2014 reelection campaign.
Ghazala
Hashmi, Virginia's current lieutenant governor, called the deaths devastating.
“My
thoughts are with their children, loved ones, and numerous friends,” Hashmi
said in a statement. “Along with so many in the Commonwealth, I am filled with
sorrow; I await further insights from our law enforcement officials.”
Justin
Fairfax
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justin_Fairfax
Justin Edward Fairfax (February
17, 1979 – April 16, 2026) was an American lawyer and politician who served as
the 41st Lieutenant Governor of Virginia from 2018 to 2022. A member of the
Democratic Party, he was the second African American elected statewide in
Virginia, following Douglas Wilder. In 2019, he faced sexual assault
allegations dating to 2000 and 2004, which he denied.
Fairfax
was a Democratic candidate for governor of Virginia in the 2021 election. He
finished fourth in the Democratic primary with 3.54% of the vote. On April 16,
2026, Fairfax was found dead in his home with his wife, Cerina Fairfax, in an
apparent murder–suicide.
Early
life and career
Justin
Edward Fairfax was born on February 17, 1979, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He
moved with his family from Pittsburgh to Northeast Washington, D.C., when he
was five years old.[3][4] One of four children, Fairfax graduated from DeMatha
Catholic High School in Hyattsville, Maryland, where he was senior class
president.[5] Fairfax then graduated from Duke University in 2000,[6] with a degree in public
policy.[7] After serving on the staff of the Senate Judiciary Committee for two
years, Fairfax earned a J.D. degree from Columbia Law School,[8] where he was a
member of the Columbia Law Review.
Career
He then
served as law clerk to Judge Gerald Bruce Lee of the U.S. District Court for
the Eastern District of Virginia in 2005. He worked in the Washington office of
the law firm WilmerHale
before joining the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Virginia
in 2010.[6] Fairfax worked for two years as a federal prosecutor in Alexandria,
Virginia.[8] He served as deputy coordinator of the Northern Virginia Human
Trafficking Task Force during this time.
After
the race, Fairfax co-chaired the 2014 reelection campaign of U.S. Senator Mark
Warner from Virginia.[14] The following year, he was recruited to work at the
law firm of Venable LLP,[6] in the firm's Tysons, Virginia, office.[5] Fairfax
then worked for Morrison & Foerster, a law firm where he made partner in
September 2018.[15][16] In July 2019, following sexual assault allegations
against him, Fairfax announced that he was resigning from Morrison
& Foerster,
which had accepted his resignation.
Connecting the Dots:
Justin Fairfax
was the Lieutenant
Governor of Virginia, worked for Morrison & Foerster, received his
BA at Duke University, his JD from Columbia University, and worked
in the Washington office of the law firm WilmerHale before joining the
U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Virginia in 2010.
John P. Carlin is a partner and chair, Global
Risk & Crisis Management Group at Morrison & Foerster LLP
and the Chair, Cybersecurity & Technology Program at The Aspen
Institute (think tank).
David M.
Rubenstein is a trustee at Duke University and was a
benefactor at the Aspen Institute (think tank).
David Gergen is
a trustee at Duke University, and a trustee at the Aspen
Institute (think tank).
Stephen Friedman was a chairman for Columbia University and is a trustee at the Aspen Institute (think tank).
Carnegie Corporation of New York was a funder for the Aspen
Institute (think tank) and a supporter for the American Society for
Muslim Advancement.
Ted Lieu was honored with
the Carnegie
Corporation of New York's Great Immigrants Award,
has represented California's 36th congressional district in the United
States House of Representatives since 2023 and is a
member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus.
Astrid S. Tuminez was a program officer at the Carnegie
Corporation of New York and is the 7th President of the Utah
Valley University (Charlie Kirk Shooting).
Andrew Carnegie was
the founder of the Carnegie Corporation of New York.
Carnegie
Corporation of New York was a funder for the Aspen Institute
(think tank) and a supporter for the American Society for
Muslim Advancement.
Foundation to Promote Open Society was a funder for the Aspen
Institute (think tank).
George Soros was the chairman for the Foundation to Promote
Open Society.
Walter Isaacson
is the president & CEO for the Aspen Institute (think tank) and
was the chairman & CEO for CNN.
Hisashi Owada was
a lifetime trustee at the Aspen Institute (think tank) and is a
director at the Nuclear Threat Initiative (think tank).
Ted Turner is
the founder of CNN and a co-chairman for the Nuclear Threat
Initiative (think tank).
Carnegie
Endowment for International Peace (think tank) was a
funder for the Nuclear Threat Initiative (think tank).
Carnegie
Corporation of New York was a funder for the Nuclear Threat
Initiative (think tank), the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
(think tank) and a supporter for the American Society for Muslim
Advancement.
Andrew Carnegie was
the founder of the Carnegie Corporation of New York and the founder
of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (think tank).
Open Society Foundations was a funder for the Carnegie
Endowment for International Peace (think tank).
George Soros is the founder & chairman for the Open
Society Foundations and was the chairman for the Foundation to
Promote Open Society.
Foundation to Promote Open Society was a funder for the Carnegie
Endowment for International Peace (think tank).
Jamie S. Gorelick was
a trustee at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (think
tank), a deputy attorney general for the U.S. Department of
Justice, is Ivanka Trump & Jared Kushner’s attorney
and a partner at Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr (WilmerHale).
Justin Fairfax
worked in the
Washington office of the law firm WilmerHale (Wilmer Cutler Pickering
Hale and Dorr) before joining the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern
District of Virginia in 2010.
Judge Randolph D. Moss was in private practice at the
Washington office of Wilmer, Cutler, Pickering, Hale & Dorr, LLP
(WilmerHale) is a district judge of the U.S. District Court for the
District of Columbia and ruled that President Donald Trump's plan
to crack down on asylum claims overstepped his authority.
Judge Theodore D. Chuang served as counsel at the law firm of Wilmer, Cutler, Pickering, Hale and Dorr LLP (WilmerHale) and In March 2025, Chuang ruled that President Donald Trump and Elon Musk's dismantling of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).
Robert S. Mueller III was a partner at Wilmer Cutler Pickering
Hale and Dorr (WilmerHale), a director at the Federal Bureau
of Investigation (FBI), investigating interference with Russia in
the 2016 U.S. election, special counsel investigating Russian ties in the 2016
Donald Trump presidential campaign, a special counsel at the U.S.
Department of Justice, James Quarles III assisted him in
the Russia probe, Jeannie Rhee assisted him
in the Russia collusion probe and Aaron Zebley assisted
him in the Russia probe.
James Quarles
III was a partner at Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr (WilmerHale)
and
assisted Robert
S. Mueller III in the Russia probe.
Jeannie Rhee is
a partner at Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr (WilmerHale),
assisted Robert S. Mueller III in the Russia collusion
probe and was a deputy assistant attorney general at the U.S.
Department of Justice.
Aaron Zebley was
a partner at Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr (WilmerHale)
and assisted Robert S. Mueller III in the Russia probe.
Jared Kushner’s
law firm is Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr (WilmerHale), Jamie
S. Gorelick is his attorney, is the senior adviser to the president
for the Donald Trump administration and Donald Trump’s son-in-law.
Cameron F. Kerry was
an associate at Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr (WilmerHale),
is a senior counsel at Sidley Austin LLP, John F. Kerry’s brother
and is a fellow at the Brookings Institution (think tank).
Michelle Obama was
a lawyer at Sidley Austin LLP.
Barack Obama was
an intern at Sidley Austin LLP.
R. Eden Martin is
counsel at Sidley Austin LLP, and the president of the Commercial
Club of Chicago.
Newton N. Minow was
a senior counsel at Sidley Austin LLP, a member of the Commercial
Club of Chicago and an honorary trustee at the Carnegie Corporation
of New York.
Carnegie
Corporation of New York was a funder for the Brookings
Institution (think tank), the Aspen Institute (think tank)
and a supporter for the American Society for Muslim Advancement.
Ted Lieu was honored with the Carnegie
Corporation of New York's Great Immigrants Award,
has represented California's 36th congressional district in the United
States House of Representatives since 2023 and is a
member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus.
Astrid S. Tuminez was a program officer at the Carnegie
Corporation of New York and is the 7th President of the Utah
Valley University (Charlie Kirk Shooting).
Andrew Carnegie was
the founder of the Carnegie Corporation of New York.
Carnegie
Corporation of New York was a funder for the Brookings
Institution (think tank), the Aspen Institute (think tank)
and a supporter for the American Society for Muslim Advancement.
Foundation to Promote Open Society was a funder for the Brookings
Institution (think tank) and the Aspen Institute (think tank).
George Soros was
the chairman for the Foundation to Promote Open Society.
James S.
Crown is a trustee at the Aspen Institute (think tank) and
a member of the Commercial Club of Chicago.
Lester Crown is
a member of the Commercial Club of Chicago and was a lifetime
trustee at the Aspen Institute (think tank).
John P. Carlin
is the Chair,
Cybersecurity & Technology Program at The Aspen Institute (think
tank) and a partner and chair, Global Risk & Crisis Management Group at
Morrison & Foerster LLP.
Justin Fairfax
worked for Morrison
& Foerster, was the Lieutenant Governor of Virginia, received his
BA at Duke University, his JD from Columbia University, and worked
in the Washington office of the law firm WilmerHale before joining the
U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Virginia in 2010.
David M.
Rubenstein is a trustee at Duke University and was a
benefactor at the Aspen Institute (think tank).
David Gergen is
a trustee at Duke University, and a trustee at the Aspen
Institute (think tank).
Stephen Friedman was a chairman for Columbia University and is a trustee at the Aspen Institute (think tank).
Carnegie Corporation of New York was a funder for the Aspen
Institute (think tank) and a supporter for the American Society for
Muslim Advancement.
Ted Lieu was honored with the Carnegie
Corporation of New York's Great Immigrants Award,
has represented California's 36th congressional district in the United
States House of Representatives since 2023 and is a
member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus.
Astrid S. Tuminez was a program officer at the Carnegie
Corporation of New York and is the 7th President of the Utah
Valley University (Charlie Kirk Shooting).
Andrew Carnegie was
the founder of the Carnegie Corporation of New York.
Carnegie
Corporation of New York was a funder for the Aspen Institute
(think tank) and a supporter for the American Society for
Muslim Advancement.
Foundation to Promote Open Society was a funder for the Aspen
Institute (think tank).
George Soros was the chairman for the Foundation to
Promote Open Society.
Resources:
Past Research
John
Carlin (Connecting the Dots: Aspen Institute & Soros) (Past Research on John Carlin & Morrison &
Foerster LLP)
Monday,
August 15, 2022
https://thesteadydrip.blogspot.com/2022/08/john-carlin-connecting-dots-aspen.html
Rep.
Walberg Presses Columbia on Campus Antisemitism (Connecting the Dots: Columbia
University & Soros Funding, All Networking) (Past
Research on Columbia University)
Thursday,
February 13, 2025
https://thesteadydrip.blogspot.com/2025/02/rep-walberg-presses-columbia-on-campus.html
Muslim
Call to Prayer to be Chanted Every Friday at Duke University (Past Research on Duke University)
Sunday,
January 18, 2015
https://thesteadydrip.blogspot.com/2015/01/muslim-call-to-prayer-to-be-chanted.html
Rep.
Burchett Wants Soros, Associate Before House Panel (Connecting the Dots: Jamie
Gorelick, The Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (think tank), Wilmer
Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr, Russia, Letitia James, The Committee for
Economic Development, FBI, CIA, The Open Society Foundations, The Foundation to
Promote Open Society & Soros Funding, All Networking) (Past Research on Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr (WilmerHale))
Sunday,
August 3, 2025
https://thesteadydrip.blogspot.com/2025/08/rep-burchett-wants-soros-associate.html
TIAA
Our Leadership Team (Past Research on the Carnegie
Corporation New York)
Saturday,
October 8, 2016
https://thesteadydrip.blogspot.com/2016/10/tiaa-our-leadership-team.html
NYC
Nursing Walkout Ends as Last Striking Nurses Approve New Contract (Connecting
the Dots: Mount Sinai Medical Center (New York), The New York-Presbyterian
Hospital & The Carnegie/Soros Network) (Past
Research on the Carnegie Corporation New York)
Tuesday,
March 31, 2026
https://thesteadydrip.blogspot.com/2026/03/nyc-nursing-walkout-ends-as-last.html
Charleston:
CNN’s Sick Pattern of Using the Dead as Political Weapons Against the Right (Past Research on CNN)
Saturday,
June 20, 2015
https://thesteadydrip.blogspot.com/2015/06/charleston-cnns-sick-pattern-of-using.html
Judge:
Trump's Asylum Changes Exceeded His Authority (Connecting the Dots: The Judges
That Hate Trump, Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr, Russia, Russia, Russia,
The Investigators & Soros Funding, All Networking) (Past Research on Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr (WilmerHale))
Thursday,
July 3, 2025
https://thesteadydrip.blogspot.com/2025/07/judge-trumps-asylum-changes-exceeded.html
