Jump to content

Joe Biden sexual assault allegation: Difference between revisions

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Browse history interactively
← Previous editNext edit →
Content deleted Content added
VisualWikitext
→‎Media coverage: This is the order the issues are brought up in the article.
Bsubprime7 (talk | contribs)
153 edits
→‎Allegations: Succinct wording, less editorializing
Tags: Mobile edit Mobile web edit Advanced mobile edit
Line 26: Line 26:
On April 12, 2020, ''The New York Times'' released an analysis of their investigative reporting in which they interviewed Reade, several of her friends, lawyers, nearly two dozen people who worked with Biden in the early 1990s, and the seven women who accused Biden of kissing, hugging, or touching them in ways that had made them feel uncomfortable. No other allegations about sexual assault surfaced in the course of this reporting, nor did any former Biden staff members corroborate any details of Reade's allegation, although several of the seven women stated that they believed Reade but had no new knowledge of the incident.<ref name="nyt" /> Two friends of Reade confirmed to ''The New York Times'' that she had told them of the alleged assault (one in 1993 shortly after the alleged assault took place, the other in 2008). Reade's brother, Collin Moulton, has also publicly stated that she had told him about it,<ref name="nyt" /> initially saying that Reade told him that Biden had touched her neck and shoulders, but several days later he told ''The Washington Post'' that he also remembered that she had said that Biden had reached "under her clothes."<ref>{{cite web|last1=Ruth|first1=Marcus|title=Assessing Tara Reade's allegations|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2020/04/15/seriousness-flaws-tara-reades-allegations/|website=The Washington Post |access-date=April 16, 2020}}</ref>
On April 12, 2020, ''The New York Times'' released an analysis of their investigative reporting in which they interviewed Reade, several of her friends, lawyers, nearly two dozen people who worked with Biden in the early 1990s, and the seven women who accused Biden of kissing, hugging, or touching them in ways that had made them feel uncomfortable. No other allegations about sexual assault surfaced in the course of this reporting, nor did any former Biden staff members corroborate any details of Reade's allegation, although several of the seven women stated that they believed Reade but had no new knowledge of the incident.<ref name="nyt" /> Two friends of Reade confirmed to ''The New York Times'' that she had told them of the alleged assault (one in 1993 shortly after the alleged assault took place, the other in 2008). Reade's brother, Collin Moulton, has also publicly stated that she had told him about it,<ref name="nyt" /> initially saying that Reade told him that Biden had touched her neck and shoulders, but several days later he told ''The Washington Post'' that he also remembered that she had said that Biden had reached "under her clothes."<ref>{{cite web|last1=Ruth|first1=Marcus|title=Assessing Tara Reade's allegations|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2020/04/15/seriousness-flaws-tara-reades-allegations/|website=The Washington Post |access-date=April 16, 2020}}</ref>


''The New York Times'' reporters additionally interviewed the chief and deputy-chief of Biden's Senate staff during 1992 and 1993 as well as its long-term executive assistant. They expressed their doubts as to the veracity of Reade's account, arguing that that they would have recalled Reade's complaints about Biden's conduct had she made them while also asserting that the behavior alleged would be out of character for him. Melissa Lefko, then a staff assistant for Biden, told the reporters that she had never experienced harassment and Biden's office was a "very supportive environment for women." "When you work on the Hill, everyone knows who the good guys are and who the bad guys are, and Biden was a good guy," Lefko stated as well.<ref name="nyt" />
''The New York Times'' reporters additionally interviewed the chief and deputy-chief of Biden's Senate staff during 1992 and 1993 as well as its long-term executive assistant. They expressed their doubts as to the veracity of Reade's account, arguing that that they would have recalled Reade's complaints about Biden's conduct had she made them while also asserting that the behavior alleged would be out of character for him. Melissa Lefko, then a staff assistant for Biden, told the reporters that she had never experienced harassment and that in her opinion, Biden's office was a "very supportive environment for women."<ref name="nyt" />


== Media coverage ==
== Media coverage ==

Revision as of 21:00, 20 April 2020

"Tara Reade" redirects here. For the actress, see Tara Reid.

In March 2020, Tara Reade, a former Senate staff assistant of Joe Biden, alleged in an interview that Biden sexually assaulted her in a Capitol Hill office building in 1993.[1][2][3][4][5] A Biden spokesperson said that the allegation was false.[6]

The New York Times reported about the allegation after several smaller publications broke stories, reporting that "[n]o other allegation about sexual assault surfaced in the course of reporting, nor did any former Biden staff members corroborate any details of Ms. Reade’s allegation. The Times found no pattern of sexual misconduct by Mr. Biden".[6] The handling of the reporting by the media has been criticized by various commentators.

Background

Tara Reade

Tara Reade's U.S. Senate identification badge photo

At age 29, Tara Reade was a staff assistant in the office of then Senator Joe Bide from December 1992 to August 1993, with responsibilities such as supervision of the office's interns and mail delivery.[7]

Also known as Alexandra Tara Reade,[8][9] she is a writer[10][11] from Nevada County, California[8] who has offered her services as a "non-profit consultant" as of early 2020.[12][13][non-primary source needed] According to the Washington Examiner, after working in Washington, Reade left and became a mother, but changed her name multiple times after leaving an abusive marriage.[14] She earned a law degree from Seattle University School of Law, but has not practiced law and said that she helps nonprofits.[7][14] She has worked as a victims rights advocate and recently has worked with families who have special needs children.[14] She stated that she is an expert witness in Monterey County, California domestic violence cases, which she does for a stipend.[14][7] She was an actress and a model in her early life.[14]

Joe Biden

Main article: Joe Biden

Former U.S. Vice President Joe Biden served as a U.S. Senator from 1973 to 2009. He has been accused of inappropriate physical contact in the past. Photographs and videos show Biden in close proximity to women and children, including kissing, gripping, nose rubbing and touching.[15][16][17][18] Biden has described himself as a "tactile politician" and admitted this behavior has caused trouble for him in the past.[19] According to CNN, the women felt uncomfortable but none of them have accused Biden of sexual assault.[20]

Allegations

During an interview with a reporter in April 2019, Reade alleged that Biden touched her inappropriately and sexual harassed her while she worked in his U.S. Senate office. Reade made the allegation after watching an episode of the The View on April 1, 2019, in which Nevada politician Lucy Flores had alleged that Biden sniffed her hair and kissed the back of her head shortly before a political rally in 2014.[1][1][21]

During an interview with Katie Halper which was released as a podcast on March 25, 2020, Reade alleged that Biden had pushed her against a wall and penetrated her with his fingers in a Capitol Hill office building in 1993.[9] Addressed her objective was for revealing her allegation, Read said during the interview, "I’m hoping by coming forward with this—and I know it’s hard to listen to, and it’s hard to live in it, right? But my justice now, the only justice I can have, is to be moving freely in the world and to heal and not be silenced."[22] On April 9, 2020, she filed a police report with the Washington, D.C. police alleging she was sexually assaulted between March 1 and May 31, 1993.[23] NPR confirmed that a record of the police report named Biden.[24] Reade acknowledged that the statute of limitations has lapsed, and she stated that she filed the report "for safety reasons only".[2][6][25]

On April 12, 2020, The New York Times released an analysis of their investigative reporting in which they interviewed Reade, several of her friends, lawyers, nearly two dozen people who worked with Biden in the early 1990s, and the seven women who accused Biden of kissing, hugging, or touching them in ways that had made them feel uncomfortable. No other allegations about sexual assault surfaced in the course of this reporting, nor did any former Biden staff members corroborate any details of Reade's allegation, although several of the seven women stated that they believed Reade but had no new knowledge of the incident.[6] Two friends of Reade confirmed to The New York Times that she had told them of the alleged assault (one in 1993 shortly after the alleged assault took place, the other in 2008). Reade's brother, Collin Moulton, has also publicly stated that she had told him about it,[6] initially saying that Reade told him that Biden had touched her neck and shoulders, but several days later he told The Washington Post that he also remembered that she had said that Biden had reached "under her clothes."[26]

The New York Times reporters additionally interviewed the chief and deputy-chief of Biden's Senate staff during 1992 and 1993 as well as its long-term executive assistant. They expressed their doubts as to the veracity of Reade's account, arguing that that they would have recalled Reade's complaints about Biden's conduct had she made them while also asserting that the behavior alleged would be out of character for him. Melissa Lefko, then a staff assistant for Biden, told the reporters that she had never experienced harassment and that in her opinion, Biden's office was a "very supportive environment for women."[6]

Media coverage

The allegations, and the delayed response by major media publications, stirred mixed sentiments across the American political spectrum.[27] On March 28, 2020, The Guardian columnist Arwa Mahdawi asked in an op-ed: "Why has the media ignored sexual assault allegations against Biden?". She also wrote about how right-wing media outlets embraced the controversy, remarking that "It is hugely frustrating to see conservatives, who couldn't give a damn about the multiple sexual assault allegations against Donald Trump, weaponize the accusations against Biden." She added that she found it "also frustrating to see so many liberals turning a blind eye" to a serious allegation.[28][29]

The New York Times was criticized by other media outlets for its delayed coverage of the allegation, and how it differed from reporting on other allegations in the past.[30][31][32] Its executive editor, Dean Baquet, published an op-ed on April 13, 2020 responding to various criticisms including that his newspaper was slow to publish coverage of the news story.[33][34][35][36] In an interview with the newspaper's media columnist Ben Smith, Baquet responded to a controversy about a line in the news story that was removed after the piece's initial publication. The sentence previously read: "The Times found no pattern of sexual misconduct by Mr. Biden, beyond the hugs, kisses and touching that women previously said made them uncomfortable." Baquet explained that it had been included originally in order not to falsely imply that other individuals had made allegations of as invasive in nature as Reade's but thereafter removed because of "awkward phrasing issue that could be read different ways."[37] Baquet stated that the edit was made after the Biden campaign had objected to it because "[it] made it look like there were other instances in which he had been accused of sexual misconduct."[36]

Reactions

On April 14, 2020, in an online conversation with The Wing, U.S. Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez said that it was legitimate to discuss Reade's allegation against Biden.[38][39]

Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, a national co-chair of Biden's campaign, discussed the allegation on NPR. She said "Well, I think women should be able to tell their stories. I think that it is important that these allegations are vetted, from the media to beyond...And so it's hard to give you greater insight than that, not knowing more about the situation."[40]

References

  1. ^ a b c Grim, Ryan (March 24, 2020). "Time's Up Said It Could Not Fund a #MeToo Allegation Against Joe Biden, Citing Its Nonprofit Status and His Presidential Run". The Intercept. Retrieved April 9, 2020.
  2. ^ a b North, Anna (March 27, 2020). "A sexual assault allegation against Joe Biden has ignited a firestorm of controversy". Vox. Retrieved April 9, 2020.
  3. ^ "Tara Reade discusses Biden allegation with Hill.TV's 'Rising'". The Hill. March 26, 2020. Retrieved April 9, 2020.
  4. ^ White, Adam (April 8, 2020). "Rose McGowan calls Charmed co-star Alyssa Milano 'a fraud' for endorsing Joe Biden". The Independent. Retrieved April 9, 2020.
  5. ^ Halper, Katie (March 31, 2020). "Tara Reade Tells Her Story". Current Affairs. Retrieved April 9, 2020.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  6. ^ a b c d e f Lerer, Lisa; Ember, Sydney (April 12, 2020). "Examining Tara Reade's Sexual Assault Allegation Against Joe Biden". The New York Times. Retrieved April 12, 2020.
  7. ^ a b c Katie Halper (March 31, 2020). "Tara Reade Tells Her Story". Current Affairs. Retrieved April 18, 2020.
  8. ^ a b Reade, Alexandra Tara. "Alexandra Tara Reade: A girl walks into the Senate". www.theunion.com. Retrieved April 18, 2020.
  9. ^ a b Marcotte, Amanda (March 31, 2020). "A woman accuses Joe Biden of sexual assault, and all hell breaks loose online. Here's what we know". Salon. Retrieved April 15, 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  10. ^ https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2020/04/17/joe-biden-tara-reade-metoo-problem-sexual-assault-allegation-column/5140707002/
  11. ^ https://heavy.com/news/2020/03/tara-reade/
  12. ^ "Alexandra Tara Reade - Home". web.archive.org. April 4, 2019.
  13. ^ "Alexandra Tara Reade - Home". {{cite web}}: |archive-url= requires |archive-date= (help); Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  14. ^ a b c d e Larsen, Emily (April 15, 2020). "Everything we know about the Biden sexual assault allegation". Washington Examiner. Retrieved April 16, 2020.
  15. ^ McGann, Laura (March 29, 2019). "Lucy Flores isn't alone. Joe Biden's got a long history of touching women inappropriately". Vox. Retrieved December 30, 2019.
  16. ^ Terkel, Amanda (November 15, 2017). "Joe Biden 2020 Is A Terrible Idea In A Post-Weinstein America". HuffPost. Retrieved December 30, 2019.
  17. ^ Markowitz, Karol (February 18, 2015). "America Shouldn't Tolerate 'Biden Being Biden'". Time. Retrieved December 30, 2019.
  18. ^ "Biden Charms Photographers, Frightens Children at Final Swearing-In as VP". NBCNewYork. Retrieved March 26, 2020.
  19. ^ Brice-Saddler, Michael (March 29, 2019). "Nevada Democrat accuses Joe Biden of touching and kissing her without consent at 2014 event". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved December 30, 2019.
  20. ^ Lee, MJ (April 17, 2020). "Democrats grapple with questions about Tara Reade's sexual assault allegation against Joe Biden". CNN. Retrieved April 17, 2020.
  21. ^ Riquelmy, Alan (April 3, 2019). "Nevada County woman says Joe Biden inappropriately touched her while working in his U.S. Senate office". The Union. Retrieved April 17, 2019.
  22. ^ Affairs, Current. "Tara Reade Tells Her Story ❧ Current Affairs". Current Affairs.
  23. ^ Vitali, Ali; Memoli, Mike (April 12, 2020). "Woman broadens claims against Biden to include sexual assault". NBC News. Retrieved April 16, 2020.
  24. ^ Khalid, Asma (April 19, 2020). "On The Record: A Former Biden Staffer's Sexual Assault Allegation". NPR. Retrieved April 19, 2020.
  25. ^ Mangan, Dan (April 14, 2020). "Joe Biden is accused of sexual assault as he heads toward election fight with Trump". CNBC. Retrieved April 15, 2020.
  26. ^ Ruth, Marcus. "Assessing Tara Reade's allegations". The Washington Post. Retrieved April 16, 2020.
  27. ^ Walsh, Joan (April 15, 2020). "The Troublesome Tara Reade Story". The Nation. Retrieved April 16, 2020.
  28. ^ "Joe Biden: the sexual assault claim dividing Democrats". The Week. April 16, 2020. Retrieved April 16, 2020.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  29. ^ Mahdawi, Arwa (March 28, 2020). "Why has the media ignored sexual assault and misbehaviour allegations against Biden?". The Guardian. Retrieved April 16, 2020.
  30. ^ Marcetic, Branko (April 14, 2020). "The Media Had a Formula for Reporting Sexual Misconduct. Then Joe Biden Was Accused". Jacobin Magazine. Retrieved April 17, 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  31. ^ Ecarma, Caleb (April 14, 2020). "The Media Floodgates Finally Open on Biden Sexual Assault Allegation". Vanity Fair. Retrieved April 17, 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  32. ^ Cauterucci, Christina (April 13, 2020). "Joe Biden Sails Under the New York Times' Bar for Sexual Abuse". Slate. Retrieved April 17, 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  33. ^ "The New York Times Denies Tara Reade the Christine Blasey Ford Treatment". National Review. April 14, 2020. Retrieved April 15, 2020.
  34. ^ Cauterucci, Christina (April 13, 2020). "Joe Biden Sails Under the New York Times' Bar for Sexual Abuse". Slate Magazine. Retrieved April 15, 2020.
  35. ^ Ecarma, Caleb. "The Media Floodgates Finally Open on Biden Sexual Assault Allegation". Vanity Fair. Retrieved April 15, 2020.
  36. ^ a b Smith, Ben (April 13, 2020). "The Times Took 19 Days to Report an Accusation Against Biden. Here's Why". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved April 15, 2020.
  37. ^ Swanson, Ian (April 14, 2020). "NY Times faces blowback for removal of controversial passage on Biden sexual assault allegation". The Hill. Retrieved April 15, 2020.
  38. ^ "Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez: "It's legitimate to talk about" allegations against Joe Biden". www.cbsnews.com. Retrieved April 15, 2020.
  39. ^ "AOC says it's 'legitimate to talk about' sexual assault allegation against Joe Biden". The Independent. April 15, 2020. Retrieved April 15, 2020.
  40. ^ Lee, MJ (April 17, 2020). "Democrats grapple with questions about Tara Reade's sexual assault allegation against Joe Biden". CNN. Retrieved April 17, 2020.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Joe_Biden_sexual_assault_allegation&oldid=952159126"