Fairfax, who denied the allegations to the Post, told reporters Monday that “everything was 100 percent consensual,” later adding, “There was no inappropriate contact whatsoever.”

Fairfax said the woman sought him out after the encounter, saying she wanted to go to New York City to meet with him and introduce him to her mother. “And years later now, we have a totally fabricated story out of the blue that’s meant to attack me because of where I am in politics,” Fairfax said.

The Washington Post denied claims in Fairfax’s statement that it had found “significant red flags and inconsistencies within the allegations.” The Post reported: “Fairfax and the woman told different versions of what happened in the hotel room with no one else present. The Post could not find anyone who could corroborate either version.”

In response, Fairfax spokeswoman Lauren Burke issued a statement that said, “The Washington Post, acknowledging that it had no corroboration, just smeared an elected official.”