04 May 2020 - Joe Biden denies allegations of sexual assault
Biden Denies Tara Reade’s Assault Allegation: ‘It Never Happened’
Katie Glueck, Lisa Lerer and Sydney Ember (The New York Times, 01/05/2020)
Former Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. on Friday denied an allegation of sexual assault by a former Senate aide, Tara Reade, breaking a monthlong silence that had frustrated some Democratic activists as his presidential campaign navigated issues of gender that are vitally important to many members of his party.
Sounding emphatic and at times agitated in an interview on MSNBC, Mr. Biden, the presumptive Democratic nominee, tried to address concerns about Ms. Reade’s claim by saying that she had a right to be heard while also insisting that he had not assaulted her. “No, it is not true,” Mr. Biden said. “I’m saying unequivocally it never, never happened.”
“Believing women means taking the woman’s claim seriously,” Mr. Biden said, adding, “But in the end, in every case, the truth is what matters. And in this case, the truth is, the claims are false.”
Biden confronts allegation as he prepares for unprecedented campaign against Trump
Eric Bradner, Jeff Zeleny, Arlette Saenz and Jessica Dean (CNN, 03/05/2020)
Six months before Election Day, Joe Biden is scrambling to build a campaign to wage a political fight with little precedent in American history, hoping to capitalize on opportunities and overcome challenges that the coronavirus crisis has injected into his battle with President Donald Trump.
But even as Biden sharply criticizes Trump's leadership and how the administration has handled the deadly pandemic, the former vice president is grappling with the biggest crisis he has faced as a candidate. He has denied an allegation of sexual assault by a former Senate aide, but aides and allies privately acknowledge the allegation will likely remain as a cloud for the duration of the campaign -- and will be used as a political weapon by Trump and his backers.
Letters to the Editor: The Democratic Party’s #MeToo hypocrisy on Joe Biden is stunning
(Los Angeles Times, 03/05/2020)
The Democratic Party’s public support for the #MeToo movement needs to be applauded and examined. Like most women, I have been glad that Democratic Party leaders have been vocal. I welcomed the investigation into allegations against then-Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh in 2018, even though nothing came of it. (“Tara Reade’s allegation that Joe Biden assaulted her demands an independent investigation,” editorial, April 30)
The party’s hypocrisy, however, is once again showing. If Democrats can so loudly proclaim that justice must be done for Kavanaugh’s accuser Christine Blasey Ford and even passionately insist that victims cannot be dismissed, they must apply the same scrutiny to former Vice President Joe Biden.
Republicans' dangerous weaponization of Tara Reade's allegation against Joe Biden
Maria Cardona (The Hill, 03/05/2020)
The issue of alleged sexual impropriety by a prominent political figure has resurfaced, this time in an allegation against the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, former Vice President Joe Biden.
This harkens back to two years ago, when several women came forward to accuse Justice Brett Kavanaugh of sexual assault during his Supreme Court confirmation hearings, and to four years ago, when more than a dozen women accused President Trump of sexual misconduct and assault.
But that is where the similarities end.