After an overnight statement denying a charge of sexual assault, Virginia Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax admitted Monday at a news conference he had a consensual one-night stand with the woman making the charge.

Fairfax is in the national spotlight because he would assume the governership if Democratic Gov. Ralph Northam complies with calls from party leaders to resign over a racist yearbook photo.

The lieutenant governor, who is black, told reporters in Richmond he's the victim of a political "smear," pointing to the timing of the charge, the Washington Times reported.

"Everything was 100 percent consensual. Not only that, the same person called me sometime later and wanted to meet with me, wanted to come visit me ... wanted me to meet her mother," Fairfax said.

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He told reporters he followed the biblical teaching of putting on the "armor of God," which "allows us to deal with the devil's schemes and tricks."

Stopping a 'big promotion'

The allegation came as Northam faced calls to resign after it was revealed last week that a page set apart for him in his 1984 medical yearbook contained a man in blackface standing beside someone in a KKK outfit.

Fairfax's chief of staff and communications director released a statement at 2:57 a.m. Monday morning responding to the sexual assault charge against the lieutenant governor.

"Lt. Governor Fairfax has an outstanding and well-earned reputation for treating people with dignity and respect," the statement said. "He has never assaulted anyone — ever — in any way, shape, or form."

Tyson, a professor at Scripps College in California, posted her claim on Instagram.

"Imagine you were sexually assaulted during the DNC Convention in Boston in 2004 by a campaign staffer," she wrote. "You spend the next 13 years trying to forget it ever happened. Then by strange, horrible luck, it seems increasingly likely that he’ll get a VERY BIG promotion."

The statement from Fairfax's office said said the charge is "part of the sad and dark politics that the Lt. Governor has dedicated himself to helping Virginia and the nation rise above."

Reversal

Northam apologized Friday but reversed himself Saturday, saying he does not believe he's one of the figures in the racist photo. He did admit, however, that he once put black shoe polish on his face to resemble Michael Jackson during a dance contest in 1984.

After watching the governor's press conference Saturday, two former Virginia governors, Sens. Mark Warner and Tim Kaine, released a statement with Rep. Bobby Scott, D-Va., urging him to step down.

"We called Governor Northam to tell him that we no longer believe he can effectively serve as Governor of Virginia and that he must resign. The events of the past 24 hours have inflicted immense pain and irrevocably broken the trust Virginians must have in their leaders," the lawmakers said.

Northam held an emergency meeting with his staff Sunday evening during the Super Bowl. Another meeting is planned Monday.

WND reported Northam stirred controversy Wednesday in an interview with WTOP radio in Washington about a pro-abortion bill in his state.

"When we talk about third-trimester abortions, these are done with the consent of obviously the mother, with the consent of the physicians, more than one physician, by the way," Northam said.

"And it's done in cases where there may be severe deformities, there may be a fetus that's non-viable. So in this particular example, if a mother is in labor, I can tell you exactly what would happen. The infant would be delivered. The infant would be kept comfortable. The infant would be resuscitated if that's what the mother and the family desired, and then a discussion would ensue between the physicians and the mother. So I think this was really blown out of proportion."

President Trump said in an interview with the Daily Caller that Northam's comments were "terrible" and would "lift up the whole pro-life movement like maybe it's never been lifted up before."

Republican National Committee Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel tweeted, "This is horrific."