Senate Republicans are calling for the cancellation of a planned outside investigation into a rape allegation made against state Sen. Joe Fain, who lost his re-election bid last month.
Sen. Randi Becker was among the members of the Senate Facilities and Operations Committee who voted unanimously approve the investigation, but she wrote in a letter to Democratic leadership Monday that the circumstances have changed since the committee's Nov. 8 vote. She wrote the investigation would have no legislative purpose since Fain is leaving office, and says a proper venue for such an investigation is law enforcement or the courts. Republican Sen. Ann Rivers argued the same in an opinion piece published last week.
In September, Seattle resident Candace Faber tweeted that Fain raped her in 2007, on the night she graduated from Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. Fain, who has denied the allegation, was not in office at the time at the time of the alleged assault.
Fain conceded the 47th District on November 14. Following his concession, a state Senate spokesman indicated the investigation would be called off, but later said lawmakers were still discussing the matter.
Fain’s successor, Senator-elect Mona Das, said Monday she believes some sort of investigation should continue even if it’s outside of the state legislature.
“As a three-time survivor myself, I believe women,” said Das on Monday. “I stand with survivors, and I believe that every woman should be believed, and we should support them, and I think we need more women in leadership positions.”
