I knew Justin Fairfax. Our paths crossed during my first run for the General Assembly. Every interaction I had with him was professional, respectful, and measured. What happened to him politically should make everyone uncomfortable—regardless of party. At the exact moment Ralph Northam was facing collapse over the blackface scandal, allegations surfaced against Fairfax that effectively ended his political future overnight. He was never charged. He was never prosecuted. And once his career was over, the allegations faded from public view just as quickly as they appeared. That pattern—unproven allegations surfacing at the precise moment someone is about to rise politically—is not new. We’ve seen it play out nationally with figures like Brett Kavanaugh and Clarence Thomas. Whether you believe those claims or not, the timing is always the same—and the damage is always permanent. Now we’re watching the aftermath of a life that, by any objective measure, was derailed in a matter of weeks. And the same political class that stood by—or benefited—at the time is now offering thoughts and prayers. That’s the part that ought to turn your stomach. If we’re going to be honest about accountability in this country, it has to cut both ways. Destroying someone publicly without due process, without proof, and without consequence is not justice. It’s politics at its worst. And it keeps happening because it works.