# Former staffer accuses Joe Biden of sexual assault **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [March 27, 2020, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/former-staffer-accuses-joe-biden-of-sexual-assault/850393 "2020-03-27T03:13:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 32
**Author:** ![Ann\_Hedonia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ann_hedonia/32/319_2.png) [@Ann\_Hedonia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ann_Hedonia)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2020, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/former-staffer-accuses-joe-biden-of-sexual-assault/850393/621 "2020-05-01T17:18:33Z")
I posted this in a longer form on Facebook, but I’m astounded that people who were willing to put their lives on hold and sacrifice their finances and jobs in order to avert a plague can’t shut their mouths and hold their noses and vote for Biden in order to stop an even worse fate. ---
**Author:** ![asahi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asahi/32/8693_2.png) [@asahi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asahi)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2020, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/former-staffer-accuses-joe-biden-of-sexual-assault/850393/622 "2020-05-01T17:18:44Z")
> [@BobLibDem](#): > > How can anyone look at this and say “Gee, that’s terrible that one person accused him of sexual assault, but the paperwork complaint is missing and corroborating witnesses disagree. I think I’ll vote for the guy who bought a beauty pageant for teenagers so that he could barge in their dressing room, who sleeps with porn stars, and who brags about being a sexual predator.” The problem with democracy is, there’s another option: wait for the ideal candidate and stay home for another 4 years. In fact that’s what happened on November 8th, 2016, which is why we’re living through this perpetual shit show now. ---
**Author:** ![Tigers2B1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/9fc29f/32.png) [@Tigers2B1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tigers2B1)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2020, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/former-staffer-accuses-joe-biden-of-sexual-assault/850393/623 "2020-05-01T17:20:38Z")
> [@Bijou\_Drains](#): > > He officially denied it and is going on MSNBC today > > [https://www.cnn.com/2020/05/01/politics/joe-biden-tara-reade-allegation/index.html](https://www.cnn.com/2020/05/01/politics/joe-biden-tara-reade-allegation/index.html) Let’s hope this is the beginning of the #him too movement. ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2020, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/former-staffer-accuses-joe-biden-of-sexual-assault/850393/624 "2020-05-01T17:36:34Z")
Does anyone know if this claim is true or not? I’ve heard Biden has asked that his official records be released. If Reade made an official complaint, it would be in the records. Supposedly now Reade says she didn’t file an official complaint and is changing her story. Does anyone know if that is true or not or just a rumor? ---
**Author:** ![Xema](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/9de053/32.png) [@Xema](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Xema)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2020, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/former-staffer-accuses-joe-biden-of-sexual-assault/850393/625 "2020-05-01T17:38:01Z")
> [@iiandyiiii](#): > > There were multiple relatively similar allegations against Kavanaugh. [And against Biden](https://www.thecut.com/2020/04/joe-biden-accuser-accusations-allegations.html). ---
**Author:** ![crowmanyclouds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crowmanyclouds/32/19884_2.png) [@crowmanyclouds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crowmanyclouds)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2020, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/former-staffer-accuses-joe-biden-of-sexual-assault/850393/626 "2020-05-01T17:38:02Z")
> [@UltraVires](#): > > {…} If Monica Lewinsky had not saved that dress then to this day she would be that ruthless staffer who lied about Clinton because he rejected her advances as he wanted to remain faithful to his loving wife. > > The lesson seems to be that if you want to make a sexual assault allegation, true or false, against a Republican you are a “brave survivor.” If you want to make a sexual assault allegation against a Democrat, you are a liar. Umm, remind me my memory ain’t that good, when did Monica Lewinsky make a sexual assault allegation against Bill Clinton? CMC fnord! ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2020, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/former-staffer-accuses-joe-biden-of-sexual-assault/850393/627 "2020-05-01T17:47:18Z")
> [@Xema](#): > > [And against Biden](https://www.thecut.com/2020/04/joe-biden-accuser-accusations-allegations.html). I’m unaware of any allegations of sexual assault against Biden other than from Reade, in that article or any other. Several women (and some men, IIRC) said that Biden violated their personal space on occasion, hugging too long or otherwise touching them non-sexually in a way they weren’t entirely comfortable with (and Biden acknowledged this and apologized), but those are not allegations of sexual assault, unlike the additional allegations against Kavanaugh. But I still don’t think it’s productive to compare different allegations. Each should be considered on its own merits. ---
**Author:** ![Xema](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/9de053/32.png) [@Xema](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Xema)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2020, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/former-staffer-accuses-joe-biden-of-sexual-assault/850393/628 "2020-05-01T17:57:59Z")
> [@RitterSport](#): > > Ford against Kavanaugh, of course. His accuser had told people, including her therapist, about it many years before. This is a bit strange. Ford mentioned an attack (without any name) to her therapist about 30 years after it was alleged to have happened. Reade is claiming she mentioned hers to various people contemporaneously, and some have corroborated this. > [@](#): > > In fact, his accuser stayed mum until he was the presumptive candidate. Her complaint became public on March 25; Biden became the presumptive candidate on April 8, when Bernie dropped out. ---
**Author:** ![Xema](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/9de053/32.png) [@Xema](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Xema)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2020, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/former-staffer-accuses-joe-biden-of-sexual-assault/850393/629 "2020-05-01T18:04:49Z")
> [@iiandyiiii](#): > > I’m unaware of any allegations of sexual assault against Biden other than from Reade, in that article or any other. This is valid - allegations in that article definitely rise to the level of sexual harassment, but not assault. But it’s also valid to note that if what Reade alleges is true, it’s part of a pattern of inappropriate conduct. ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2020, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/former-staffer-accuses-joe-biden-of-sexual-assault/850393/630 "2020-05-01T18:07:13Z")
> [@Xema](#): > > This is valid - allegations in that article definitely rise to the level of sexual harassment, but not assault. From what I read, none of these women (aside from Reade) saw this behavior as sexual in any way. And in my understanding, non-sexual touching is not related to sexual assault in any way. ---
**Author:** ![asahi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asahi/32/8693_2.png) [@asahi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asahi)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2020, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/former-staffer-accuses-joe-biden-of-sexual-assault/850393/631 "2020-05-01T18:48:43Z")
I saw only snippets of Biden’s Morning Joe interview, and it went pretty much the way I would have expected: a strong denial of the specific allegations. But one thing that did strike me as a little weird was when he said that she has the right to say what she wants, which just left my head shaking. If I knew in my heart that I was accused of something so untoward, that’s the last thing I would have said or expected to say. In short, it looked like a denial but not the strongest of denials, which reinforces my own ‘hunch’ that something happened between the two and Joe; it’s just probably not quite as bad as sticking fingers inside of her. Maybe a few taps on the ass and then retaliating when she showed disgust. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2020, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/former-staffer-accuses-joe-biden-of-sexual-assault/850393/632 "2020-05-01T19:17:00Z")
> [@iiandyiiii](#): > > Taking all allegations seriously, regardless of political party, is still the morally correct move. It was the right move with Kavanaugh, and it’s the right move here with Biden. Not when it is clearly politically motivated and obviously a lie. > **[Why I'm skeptical about Reade's sexual assault claim against Biden:...](https://www.yahoo.com/news/why-im-skeptical-reades-sexual-223755888.html)** > > If we must blindly accept every allegation of sexual assault, the MeToo movement is just a hit squad. And it's too important to be no more than that. \*Delayed reporting … twice. Reade waited 27 years to publicly report her allegation that Biden sexually assaulted her. I understand that victims of sexual assault often do not come forward immediately because recounting the most violent and degrading experience of their lives, to a bunch of strangers, is the proverbial insult to injury. … Even so, it is reasonable to consider a 27-year reporting delay when assessing the believability of any criminal allegation. More significant perhaps, is Reade’s decision to sit down with a newspaper last year and accuse Biden of touching her in a sexual way that made her uncomfortable — but neglect to mention her claim that he forcibly penetrated her with his fingers. As a lawyer and victims’ rights advocate, Reade was better equipped than most to appreciate that dramatic changes in sexual assault allegations severely undercut an accuser’s credibility — especially when the change is from an uncomfortable shoulder touch to vaginal penetration. …Memory lapse. Reade has said that she cannot remember the date, time or exact location of the alleged assault, except that it occurred in a “semiprivate” area in corridors connecting Senate buildings. After I left the Justice Department, I was appointed by the federal court in Los Angeles to represent indigent defendants. The first thing that comes to mind from my defense attorney perspective is that Reade’s amnesia about specifics makes it impossible for Biden to go through records and prove he could not have committed the assault, because he was somewhere else at the time. For instance, if Reade alleged Biden assaulted her on the afternoon of June 3, 1993, Biden might be able to prove he was on the Senate floor or at the dentist. Her memory lapses could easily be perceived as bulletproofing a false allegation. …►Rejecting Biden, embracing Sanders. By this January, Reade was all in for presidential candidate Bernie Sanders. Her unwavering support was accompanied by an unbridled attack on Biden. In an article on Medium, Reade referred to Biden as “the blue version of Trump.” Reade also pushed a Sanders/Elizabeth Warren ticket, while complaining that the Democratic National Committee was trying to “shove” Biden “down Democrat voters throats.” Despite her effusive 2017 praise for Biden’s efforts on behalf of women, after pledging her support to Sanders, Reade turned on Biden and contradicted all she said before. She claimed that her decision to publicly accuse Biden of inappropriately touching her was due to “the hypocrisy that Biden is supposed to be the champion of women’s rights.” ►Love of Russia and Putin. During 2017 when Reade was praising Biden, she was condemning Russian leader Vladimir Putin’s efforts to hijack American democracy in the 2016 election. This changed in November 2018, when Reade trashed the United States as a country of “hypocrisy and imperialism” and “not a democracy at all but a corporate autocracy.” Reade’s distaste for America closely tracked her new infatuation with Russia and Putin. She referred to Putin as a “genius” with an athletic prowess that “is intoxicating to American women.” Then there’s this gem: “President Putin has an alluring combination of strength with gentleness. His sensuous image projects his love for life, the embodiment of grace while facing adversity.”\* Not to mention a guy on twitter found a paragraph in a book her father wrote- which almost word for word described the supposed attack in the hallway. ---
**Author:** ![Omar\_Little](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omar_little/32/269_2.png) [@Omar\_Little](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omar_Little)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2020, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/former-staffer-accuses-joe-biden-of-sexual-assault/850393/633 "2020-05-01T19:21:10Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > Not when it is clearly politically motivated and obviously a lie. Yes. I remember a number of people saying that Ford’s claims were politically motivated and not the truth. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2020, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/former-staffer-accuses-joe-biden-of-sexual-assault/850393/634 "2020-05-01T19:22:56Z")
> [@Xema](#): > > [And against Biden](https://www.thecut.com/2020/04/joe-biden-accuser-accusations-allegations.html). Nope, not a single rape complaint in there. ““It wasn’t sexual, …”“Biden rested his hand on her shoulder,…” “Biden hugged her “just a little bit too long””, etc etc. No doubt, if Reade had limited her complaint to what she originally said " “put his hand on my shoulder and run his finger up my neck,” it would be plausible. Joe was a toucher- it was part of his political arsenal, and back in 1993 it was socially acceptable-\* altho still wrong.\* See, there’s a huge difference between “unwelcome hugger” vs "forcible rape. " ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2020, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/former-staffer-accuses-joe-biden-of-sexual-assault/850393/635 "2020-05-01T19:33:12Z")
> [@asahi](#): > > But one thing that did strike me as a little weird was when he said that she has the right to say what she wants, which just left my head shaking. If I knew in my heart that I was accused of something so untoward, that’s the last thing I would have said or expected to say. Eh, I just saw that as not wanting to be accused of shutting women down or saying that women _don’t_ have the right to make accusations, etc. He needs to walk the line between denying this allegation and reinforcing his support for women who wish report assault, harassment, etc. ---
**Author:** ![Xema](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/9de053/32.png) [@Xema](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Xema)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2020, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/former-staffer-accuses-joe-biden-of-sexual-assault/850393/636 "2020-05-01T19:36:29Z")
> [@iiandyiiii](#): > > … in my understanding, non-sexual touching is not related to sexual assault in any way. But are the following really “non-sexual touching” ? > [@](#): > > Lucy Flores alleged that Biden smelled her hair and gave her “a big slow kiss” on the back of her head at an event for her 2014 campaign. In that moment, she wrote, she felt “embarrassed” and “shocked.” > [@](#): > > “He put his hand around my neck and pulled me in to rub noses with me. When he was pulling me in, I thought he was going to kiss me on the mouth.” > [@](#): > > Hill alleges that Biden rested his hand on her shoulder, and then started to move it down her back, which left her feeling “very uncomfortable.” > [@](#): > > Caitlyn Caruso claimed that after sharing the story of her sexual assault at a University of Nevada event in 2016, Biden hugged her “just a little bit too long” and laid his hand on her thigh. > [@](#): > > Biden “put his hand on the back of [her] head and pressed his forehead to [her] forehead” when he introduced himself, and that he called her a “pretty girl.” ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2020, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/former-staffer-accuses-joe-biden-of-sexual-assault/850393/637 "2020-05-01T19:39:36Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > Not when it is clearly politically motivated and obviously a lie. Taking it seriously is how any potential dishonesty would be determined. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2020, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/former-staffer-accuses-joe-biden-of-sexual-assault/850393/638 "2020-05-01T19:40:04Z")
> [@Xema](#): > > But are the following really “non-sexual touching” ? Are any of them forcible rape? ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2020, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/former-staffer-accuses-joe-biden-of-sexual-assault/850393/639 "2020-05-01T19:41:13Z")
> [@Xema](#): > > But are the following really “non-sexual touching” ? According to the reports of the women, yes (based on the article you cited and others I’ve read). And they’re who counts. If they say they felt sexually harassed, then I would take that seriously. If they say they felt uncomfortable, but don’t feel that there was any sexual motive, then I take that seriously too. ---
**Author:** ![RitterSport](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rittersport/32/6326_2.png) [@RitterSport](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RitterSport)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2020, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/former-staffer-accuses-joe-biden-of-sexual-assault/850393/640 "2020-05-01T19:45:11Z")
> [@Xema](#): > > This is a bit strange. > > Ford mentioned an attack (without any name) to her therapist about 30 years after it was alleged to have happened. Reade is claiming she mentioned hers to various people contemporaneously, and some have corroborated this. My understanding is that it’s only her close family that is corroborating this, but I could be wrong. > [@](#): > > Her complaint became public on March 25; Biden became the presumptive candidate on April 8, when Bernie dropped out. Not really. Sanders was toast before that date, basically after the March 10 primaries. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/former-staffer-accuses-joe-biden-of-sexual-assault/850393.md?page=31) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/former-staffer-accuses-joe-biden-of-sexual-assault/850393.md?page=33)