Psaki Claims Biden's Sexual Harassment Allegations Were Already 'Heavily Litigated'
A woman who accused President Joe Biden of sexual assaulting her in 1993 when he was still a senator rejected claims from the White House that Biden’s alleged sexual harassment of multiple women was “heavily litigated.”
Tara Reade, who accused Biden of sexual assault in a claim that received a modicum of coverage from the establishment media during the 2020 presidential campaign, said White House press secretary Jen Psaki was way off the mark in comments at Wednesday’s media briefing.
“There’s been no litigation, there’s been no investigation,” Reade told the Daily Caller News Foundation. “That’s a lie. That’s misleading the public. She should take that statement back.”
Tara Reade Accuses Psaki Of ‘Misleading The Public’ By Saying Her Allegations Were ‘Heavily Litigated During The Campaign’ – The Daily Caller https://t.co/gAsrtzFAHb
— Tara Reade 🦋 (@ReadeAlexandra) August 4, 2021
Reade’s accusation that Biden sexually assaulted her came back to life Wednesday in the context of Biden’s call for New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo to resign after a report from the New York attorney general’s office said Cuomo sexually harassed 11 women.
During Wednesday’s media briefing, Psaki was asked about Biden’s record on sexual harassment.
“President Biden was accused by female Secret Service agents of skinny dipping in front of them, offending them, according to former Washington Post reporter Ronald Kessler, who’s an author as well,” a reporter asked.
“His former Senate aide, Tara Reade, accused him of sexual assault. The Washington Post and The New York Times published multiple accounts of women who objected to the way President Biden touched them. Should there be an independent investigation of allegations into the president as there was into Gov. Cuomo?” Psaki was asked, according to an official White House transcript of her remarks.
Psaki said Biden “has been clear and outspoken about the importance of women being respected and having their voices heard and being allowed to tell their stories and people treating them with respect. That has long been his policy, continues to be his policy.”
She then said the unresolved claims against Biden were old news.
“That — those were — that was heavily litigated during the campaign. I understand you’re eager to come back to it, but I don’t have anything further other than to repeat that he has called for the governor to resign,” Psaki said.
Reade, who noted that her claims were never litigated, said Biden’s past should be investigated.
“It takes one member of Congress to ask for an investigation into Joe Biden,” Reade said. “I’ve already said multiple times I will go under oath and I will testify to what I endured regarding sexual harassment and sexual assault in 1993.”
“Also there are the records of me filing the sexual harassment report that should be archived at the University of Delaware,” she said. “He needs to release those files.”
Biden has said those filed should be sealed. The college has so far agreed.
Reade’s is not the only accusation against Biden. As noted in a summary of allegations published by The Cut, seven other women have said Biden crossed the line during his interactions with them.
Sofie Karasek, who has objected to Biden’s conduct during the 2016 Oscars ceremony, wrote in a 2019 Op-Ed in The Washington Post, “Joe Biden often calls on others to have the courage to speak the truth. I hope that he can find it within himself to do the same.”
This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.
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