Virginia governor consults with officials on whether to quit

RICHMOND, Va. -- Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam consulted with top administration officials Monday about whether he should stay in office or resign amid an uproar over a racist photo on his 1984 medical school yearbook page.

Practically all of the state's Democratic establishment -- and Republican leaders, too -- turned against the 59-year-old Democrat after the picture surfaced of someone in blackface next to another person in a Ku Klux Klan hood and robe.

The sense of crisis deepened as the official next in line to be governor, Democratic Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax, denied an uncorroborated allegation of sexual misconduct first reported by a conservative website. Fairfax told reporters the 2004 encounter with a woman was consensual, and he called the accusation a "smear."

Northam stayed out of sight as he met with his Cabinet and senior staff, following a meeting the night before with minority officials in his administration. The governor wanted to hear their assessment of whether it is feasible for him to stay in office, according to a top administration official who was not authorized to discuss the matter publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.

The meetings included frank conversations about the difficulties of governing under such circumstances, the person said.

The state government was thrown into confusion by the scandal on what was already one of the legislature's busiest days of the session, with the House and Senate each seeking to complete legislation to send to the other chamber.

Finance Secretary Aubrey Layne said he told Northam the state cannot afford a prolonged period of uncertainty over his future. Northam's office is in the middle of negotiations with GOP lawmakers over a major tax overhaul and changes to the state budget. The Republican Party controls both houses of the legislature.

"One way or the other, it needs to be resolved," Layne said.

The furor over the picture erupted Friday, when Northam first admitted he was in the picture without saying which costume he was wearing, and apologized. But a day later, he denied he was in the photo, while also acknowledging he once put on blackface to imitate Michael Jackson at a dance contest decades ago.