A woman accuses Joe Biden of sexual assault, and all hell breaks loose online. Here's what we know

[George II]

Alexandra Tara Reade accused Biden of sexual assault. Salon untangles fact from fiction in the politicized fall-out

AMANDA MARCOTTE / MARCH 31, 2020 4:00PM (UTC)

Last week, podcaster Katie Halper, an avid fan of presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders, released an episode of her podcast containing a shocking accusation: In an interview, Alexandra Tara Reade, who briefly worked for former Vice President Joe Biden when he was in the U.S. Senate, said that Biden had sexually assaulted her in 1993, pinning her up against a wall and digitally penetrating her during an encounter on Capitol Hill. At the same time, Ryan Grim of The Intercept — a publication which has been strongly supportive of Sanders and critical of Biden — published a story insinuating that the Time's Up Legal Defense Fund had rejected Reade's case out of political loyalty to Biden.

These twin stories are currently tearing up social media, with competing conspiracy theories flying from both pro-Biden and pro-Sanders camps in response. Biden supporters are accusing Reade of being a Russian agent, or at least a kook with suspicious intentions who's in love with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Sanders supporters are accusing the mainstream media and Time's Up of covering up Reade's accusations to protect Biden. (To be clear: Neither candidate's campaign has engaged with these conspiracy theories in any way.)

Reade says there were no witnesses to the alleged 1993 assault, which is of course extremely common in such cases. She said in her interview with Halper that she told her brother and a friend about the assault at the time, which Halper says she confirmed. That's the most common method of establishing credibility when reporting on allegations of sexual harassment or assault. The audio of the interview is compelling, as Reade speaks with a lot of emotion about the alleged assault. The same was true in her interviews with Salon.

Yet it is also true that outside of a handful of aggregated stories, there has been almost no high-profile media coverage of a story as explosive as this — an accusation that a former vice president and near-certain Democratic presidential nominee committed an act of sexual violence against a woman who worked for him. Why?

There is a LOT more, it's a long, detailed article. Bottom line: it's probably all BS.

https://www.salon.com/2020/03/31/a-woman-accuses-joe-biden-of-sexual-assault-and-all-hell-breaks-loose-online-heres-what-we-know/

[LakeArenal]

1. BS.

[Demsrule86]

2. George this should be deleted...we should not put this on a Democratic forum...it is undoubtedly

bullshit...and this has been posted multiple times...let it die.

[True Blue American]

3. Really not fit for DU!

[busterbrown]

41. Amy Goodman. It came to her attention..

and she spent some time on the issue.. Amy Goodman is as good as it gets.. You seem suspicious though..Weird..

[George II]

4. The article points out all the fallacies in the story.

[NurseJackie]

9. No... KEEP IT! Knowledge is power!

If you deleted this post... the "Biden haters" would continue to push the story as being the truth. If the accusations are not FORCEFULLY responded to, then we end up in a situation like John Kerry did.

He didn't want to "dignify" the ugly accusations... and so... by NOT responding, by NOT being forceful, by not "dignifying" the accusations, they ended up becoming the false narrative that people believed.

We MUST MUST MUST continue to refute... not only as a response, but in pro-active OP's like this one.

I, for one, THANK YOU for posting this.

[Demsrule86]

16. Good point Jackie...I was wrong maybe...we do have to stand up to them.

[brush]

28. One would think this would've come out when all the me_too stories hit the news a couple of years...

back—Weinstein, Mat Lauer, Charlie Rose, Al Franken and the rest. As a matter of fact, this sounds exactly like it's from the Al Franken playbook—target a prominent Dem and stand back and watch the fireworks as we all tear each other apart over these allegations that can't be proven either way.

She's just the latest. Remember the woman early on who claimed Joe harassed her by smelling her hair. Imagine that. It didn't work either and that woman hasn't been heard from since. I expect this tale to soon evaporate into the ether also.

[William769]

34. I feel the same way.

[Demsrule86]

11. but keeps it going.

[JustAnotherGen]

14. It was a good read

This is the first time a reliable news source broke down their methodology in approaching the story.

[pnwmom]

29. I disagree. Most of us are running into people spouting off disinformation

and it is good to know WHY the MSM hasn't been echoing the libertarian Intercept's story.

As Marcotte explains, there are many red flags.

Also, she couldn't get any confirmation from the supposed witnesses. The brother refused to speak to the reporters; and Tara wouldn't name the friend she supposedly told at the time.

[Thekaspervote]

33. Agree! Please stop posting this

[NurseJackie]

5. Of course it's all BS. It's always been BS. From the very start it was BS.

Bottom line: it's probably all BS.

Of course it's all BS. It's always been BS. From the very start it was BS.

[Butterflylady]

6. Anybody that knows Biden

Knows that her story is a crock of s**t. I don't care who she told, because I wouldn't believe them either.

[marble falls]

7. "Probably"? Definitely.

[johnnyknj]

8. Old news and...

Not worth the discussion

[Funtatlaguy]

10. I'd compare Bidens sexual history vs Trumps any day. Now shut this shit up.

[busterbrown]

12. The Thing which really bothers me is:

That Amy Goodman (whom I respect immensely) spent a lot of time on this story 2 days ago.. Really flipped me out.. Tell Me Please.. Everyone.. That it's nothing..
But Amy Goodman.. One of the most respected who's on our side..

Whats Up Guys!! Amy did not back up the crap.. But the fact that she gave so much time freaked the hell out of me!

[ucrdem]

13. Welcome to the next eight years. nt

[Drunken Irishman]

22. We have facts.

And the facts suggest she's lying.

In 2019, she told her story to a Nevada newspaper. In that story, she said Biden used to rub her shoulders but that was basically the extent of it. She never claimed, in 2019, that she was raped. Now, in 2020, she's saying she was raped. That is a huge leap in just under a year.

In 2017, she was actively praising Biden on her old Twitter account. She even retweeted tweets about how he should have run in 2016 - as well as tweets about his record being a woman's advocate.

A few years ago, she stated she left politics because she fell in love with Russia and turned against the US government. Now she's claiming Biden had her fired.

The inconsistencies are there and it's dangerous to give her equal weight to someone who has mounds of evidence, as Ford did with Kavanaugh.

[woodsprite]

35. Oh I got ripped up one side and down the other from the Women's March group

I belonged to on FB because I said that it didn't sound right.

Notice I said 'belonged'. I got tired of their crap.

[Drunken Irishman]

37. These people are hypocrites.

I never bought into 'believe every single woman no matter what' bullshit and I don't think ANYONE ever buys that.

Believe credible women.

There's nothing credible about her story and it's a big reason the media won't touch it.

[woodsprite]

39. I also had issues with their 'vote female whether they're qualified or not'.

I don't know if all of the groups are like that as this was specifically the Delaware group.

[The Magistrate]

18. We Have To Learn Not To Care, Sir

Leftists of all complexions need to practice the following statement:

"Fuck you, ass-hole! I don't give a flying fuck about that! Shut yer damn pie-hole and back off. Your guy sucks donkey dick! Bend over and shut the fuck up! Don't tell me about yer precious fucking feelings! Grow the fuck up and stop being a little whiny-ass titty-baby!"

Repeat it early and often whenever any right wing shill or bought-out shit-heel of a journalist wants a reaction to some claim or charge he thinks you ought to find it difficult to reject.

DEFEND OUR OWN!

ATTACK ONLY THE ENEMY!!!








"When things are not called by their right names, what is said cannot make sense. When what is said does not make sense, what is planned cannot succeed. When plans do not succeed, people become uneasy. When people are uneasy, punishments do not fit crimes. When punishments do not fit crimes, people cannot know where to put hand or foot."

[Demsrule86]

21. Of course the story is bullshit...Amy went after Warren in an interview and I personally think she

supports Sanders. She is all in on M4A...stopped my donation to Free Speech...I think she is irresponsible to write this story.

[ucrdem]

26. Amy used to put ex-Bush officials on her show to run down Barack Obama.

And then there's her precious jewel Jeremy Schahill who is as rabid anti-Obama as the worst Ozark WWC. Come to think of it they all are.


p.s. no offense to any DUers from the Ozarks.

[Demsrule86]

44. Yep...she should just be honest...she is not an honest broker and never was.

[busterbrown]

43. So Fucked Up.. I use to listen to Amy so religiously..

She was a hero to many of us around 911..Honest and tough with the facts.. I can not believe she did this...

IMO its a "are you kidding me" Amy was like one of the few back then who was really are only source of the truth.. Before Rachael there was Amy.. I'm still rather shocked!

[blue-wave]

17. The timing of this accusation is perfect

for Joe Biden's detractors. Joe is walking away with every primary that comes our way and all of a sudden he's a "molester" from way, way back in 1993. This smells really funny. Why now?

It seems they keep trying to knock Joe out, but what the detractors don't realize is that America has woken to the game. The way I see it, the more they throw at Joe, the more determined Democrats are to elect him. We Democrats are tired of the lies, distractions and deceit. Tired yes, but not so exhausted that we cannot pick ourselves up and move mountains to elect Joe Biden. I want Putin and Nazi-esque intruders out of our politics and I want our America, the America that works for everyone, back.

I will support to the best of my ability and vote for Joe Biden in every election to which I am entitled. It is at this time, this moment that we must witness a President Biden behind the desk in the oval office come January 2021. The alternative is almost too painful to imagine.

[Freddie]

19. Please read the article

Which states that this story is not being reported in MSM because sexual assault allegations are very serious and this story has too many red flags. Translation: it’s bullshit.

[busterbrown]

45. Thank You!!

But Amy.. In my mind was one of the first to cut deep into anything which was being torn by right wing idiots.. Her attention to atrocities going deep into our globe was always spoy on.

[BGBD]

20. it was questionable

to begin win. It was clearly garbage as soon as we found out she had a 2nd twitter acct full of tweets about how great Biden is.


This is real simple. She went full on for the progressive wing and released a story about Biden last year, in the meantime she became a hardcore Bernie supporter. Now that is has become clear Bernie has no path, she think if she accuses him of this it will let Bernie win.

Why wait until now? She said she cant stomach him as President....but Vice President for 8 years was just fine? She told her Brother and a "friend" but her brother won't talk to non-Bernie media and she wont even give the friends name to non-Bernie media?

Nobody else whbwroked in Bidens office at the time has ever heard of any of these stories, including ever asking her to serve drinks?

[LVZ]

23. Lots of anti-Democrat trolls constantly promoting this on Facebook

[George II]

27. It was being pushed by Shaun King and Krystal Ball a few days ago, Briahna Gray subtly....

...."endorsed" the idea, and from that it exploded.

Even Susan Sarandon weighed in negatively.

That's the problem, someone just has to plant the seed and all the trolls on Twitter will run with it forever.

[padah513]

24. Maybe that's why somebody doubled down on not ending his campaign

Probably hoping this smear grew legs and ran.

[Stuart G]

25. Where is this coming from...obvious,,..it ain't from Bernie, it is from ??Trump!!

It looks like it is from Bernie,,,but it ain't. from Bernie....

Guess who made this one up...from 1993 no less. no proof no less, no witnesses no less...

I think it is orchestrated by the "Orange Fool" who wanted to get dirt on Biden, and was impeached for trying to get dirt on Biden's son...(is that correct??)...so guess what...here is some dirt on Biden..

...guess what /????? Very dirty dirt on Joe


Of course.....I got no proof....no one has proof!!!! One way or another....

SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO.....Who is it that works always with...lies, lies, and more lies???

...you only get 1 guess.....You are correct...Donald Trump....Oh...........................Donnie wouldn't
do anything like this, Would he?

[pnwmom]

31. The story was in the libertarian Intercept, the publication that advocated for

Russia-defector Ed Snowden.

No one should take that rag seriously.

[hay rick]

30. Good article. Here's another chunk of the story.

1. Is the mainstream media burying Reade's story out of loyalty to Biden and/or hatred of Sanders? That's unlikely. Here's why.

There's a reason why mainstream journalists such as Ronan Farrow of the New Yorker and Jodi Kantor and Megan Twohey of the New York Times — all Pulitzer Prize winners for their meticulous coverage of the 2017 Harvey Weinstein investigation — are so careful when reporting allegations of sexual harassment and assault...It's not just about fairness to the accused, but also to the accusers. Women who tell these stories inevitably get blasted by skeptics who pick their stories apart, so it's critical to their safety that the reporting holds up under close scrutiny. That's only going to be more true when the story has major political implications or confusing twists that could be interpreted as red flags — or both, like this one does.

Reade's story of what happened during her tenure working for Biden has changed over time. In April of 2019, Reade spoke to a local Nevada County paper, claiming Biden "would touch me on the shoulder or hold his hand on my shoulder running his index finger up my neck during a meeting." She also recounted an incident where she says she was told by staff that she had to serve drinks at a Biden event because he "liked my legs." She told Salon she rejected this request and complained directly to supervisors Marianne Baker and Dennis Toner. Reade says that her complaints led to being sidelined and pushed out of Biden's office. Both Baker and Toner denied to Salon ever having such a conversation with Reade.

Reade's April 2019 account of why she left Biden's office also conflicts with earlier things she has written. In a December 2018 Medium post she's since deleted, Reade wrote that she quit working for Biden to pursue a vocation in the arts and because she loves "Russia with all my heart" and rejected "the reckless imperialism of America" and what she saw as an anti-Russian view on Capitol Hill. Before 2019, Reade lived under another name — she changed it for many years to escape an abusive husband, and provided the paperwork demonstrating this to Salon — and her public statements about Biden were entirely positive. After making her April 2019 allegations that Biden had touched her inappropriately, Reade spent months tweeting that story, dozens of times, at various figures — politicians, celebrities, media outlets, even Donald Trump — to no response.

This story was too low even for Donald Trump at one time. That could change as we approach the election. I saw a "Where's Hunter?" tee shirt the other day. These people are untroubled by either facts or morality.

[tirebiter]

32. The Salon article has contradictory elements

It is typical of Salon in that it has no definite conclusion
But
It is atypical of Salon in that it tries to tell the whole story

[Sloumeau]

36. I am not sure that "It's all BS" is Amanda Marcotte's bottom line.

Marcotte wrote the following:

What can be said is that Reade's story is credible and compelling in some important ways, and also comes with a number of troubling red flags.

Marcotte said that Reade's story is credible with red flags--even though Marcotte admits in the article that Salon.com has not been able to confirm that Reade supposedly told her story to two other people right after the alleged event happened. So, how can Marcotte assume that the story is credible when she has no corroboration?

Marcotte talked about the need to proceed carefully on the Reade story. However, Marcotte was the very person who seemed to completely believe Attorney General Barr's take that Trump was completely vindicated based on Barr's 4 pages of nonsense before the final Mueller report was ever released. She then proceeded to write an article about how awful Rachel Maddow was for spending so much time on the Mueller investigation. When it came out that Barr had lied his ass off, did Marcotte ever apologize for going after Maddow as she did? I have never seen it. Personally, I believe that Ms. Marcotte is seriously lacking in her journalistic skills.

Here's my bottom line. One prosecutor who handles sexual assault cases wrote in an article that she believes that about 92%-98% of the people who report sexual assault cases are telling the truth. I agree with those numbers. For example, I believe everyone who said Weinstein assaulted them, and I believe everyone who said Cosby assaulted them. However, that leaves about 2-8% who may not be telling the truth. I believe that Reade probably falls within that area. I believe that Biden in the past was overly friendly with people, both men and women, and has at times not respected people's space. This means that at times he did something like put his hand on someone's shoulder when the person really did not want that. Biden has apparently since learned to keep his hands more to himself. However, I do not believe that he sexually assaulted Ms. Reade.

The thing is, sometimes people lie, both men and women. Most women don't lie about sexual assault, but apparently a few do, including a woman named Aviaon Lee who set a fire in a hotel and then claimed that she was sexually assaulted during the fire. The main way that police realized that she was lying was that she did internet searches on how much hotels have to pay out for sexual assaults before she lit the fire. She later admitted that she made the sexual assault up and started the fire.

[link:https://www.fox5vegas.com/news/crime/las-vegas-police-say-excalibur-employee-set-fire-lied-about/article_0b66e88c-537a-11ea-8a63-07c332a6c758.html|]

In a follow-up interview with Lee, the police asked if she would consent to them examining her cell phone which the woman agreed to.

When investigators checked out her phone, they found several internet searches regarding "can you sue hotel job for sexual assault."

After going through all the evidence, police were able to pinpoint a suspect and conducted a third interview with Lee, especially to ask her about the internet searches.

Initially, Lee tried to brush off the searches as something she had been doing to help out her mother-in-law who, according to Lee, had been assaulted while working as housekeeper and she would do that particular type of search whenever they discussed it

But when pressed further, Lee broke down and, according to the report, confessed to having fabricated the entire incident including setting fire to the bed.

Lee was arrested and taken into custody on several charges including arson, burglary and false report of a crime.

Why do a few people do this? I am not completely sure. Police said Aviaon Lee lied for monetary gain. Some men will lie about anything, so I imagine that there is a tiny percentage of women who will do that too. Reade has proclaimed her love for Putin and Bernie. In my opinion, if anyone were going to lie about Biden, it would probably be someone like that. I've seen a mountain of lies from a few extreme Bernie fans, and a mountain of lies from people working for Putin and Russia in the past few years. This, in a addition to the fact that she has changed her story over time, means I have reasonable doubt about her story.

[DenverJared]

38. Summary

"It looks like bullshit but can't be proven beyond a reasonable doubt"

[dustyscamp]

40. This won't go away

Trump will use this a lot to attack Biden. He will also attack the media for not covering this as much as other sexual allegations. I hope Biden speaks out about this.

[la-trucker]

42. It will be thoroughly discredited by them

There are armies of reporters grilling Halper and Reade and their stories keep changing. Halper may sing and tell about who in the campaign made her do it. Also, Sanders' relationship with the Russian propaganda outlet Intercept will be examined.