Joe Biden is accused of sexual assault as he heads toward election fight with Trump

Reade filed the police complaint last week, NBC News noted. She alleges the assault occurred some time between March 1 and May 31, 1993. NBC News said that a record, which Reade provided, shows that she had worked in Biden’s office from December 1992 to August 1993. The news site also reported she had given different explanations for why she left Washington.

Reade has confirmed to NBC News that she is the person referred to as “Subject-1” in the report and that “Subject-2” refers to Biden.

NBC News reported that it had spoken to Reade multiple times in recent weeks, along with five other people whom she said she had told in some way about her alleged assault by Biden.

One person, who asked that her name be withheld by NBC News, confirmed that “Reade told her about the alleged assault at the time,” the news outlet reported.

A second person, who also spoke with NBC News on the condition of anonymity, said Reade had told her “in the mid-2000s that Biden had been inappropriate and touched her when she worked in his office but that she didn’t detail the alleged assault.”

Three other people named by Reade told NBC News they did not recall her telling them about the alleged act by Biden. They include Biden’s former chief of staff, Ted Kaufmann, and Biden’s longtime executive assistant, Marianne Baker.

Reade told NBC News that at the time of the incident she filed a formal complaint alleging harassment, but not assault, through a Senate personnel office.

NBC News noted that federal law at that time “set forth procedures for allegations of harassment or discrimination in employment on the basis of gender, which would have included a hearing by a board of independent officers.”

“No such process was initiated by Reade’s complaint,” NBC News added.

Last year, Lucy Flores, a former Nevada legislator, said that during a rally for her 2014 campaign for lieutenant governor, Biden put his hand on her shoulder, got up very close to her from behind, leaned in, smelled her hair and then kissed her head.

After Flores went public with her account, several other women told NBC News and other media outlets that they had been uncomfortable with Biden’s close physical contact with them.

Biden said last year that during years of campaigning and in public life he had “offered countless handshakes, hugs, expressions of affection, support and comfort.”

“And not once  — never — did I believe I acted inappropriately,” Biden said.

Article source: https://www.cnbc.com/2020/04/14/joe-biden-accused-of-sex-assault-amid-challenge-to-donald-trump.html