WASHINGTON: Democratic presumptive nominee Joe Biden has categorically denied the sexual assault allegation levelled against him by a former Senate aide 27 years ago, saying “this never happened”.
This is the first time that the 77-year-old former US Vice President has commented publicly on the allegations which threatened to disrupt his presidential bid against President Donald Trump, a Republican.
His former Senate aide Tara Reade has claimed that Biden assaulted her 1993 when she worked in his office.
Citing “the full and growing record of inconsistencies” in the accusations, Biden, in a statement, said: “They aren’t true. This never happened”, the CNBC reported.
The statement was released ahead of an interview on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” programme where Biden was expected to address the accusations personally for the first time.
“While the details of these allegations of sexual harassment and sexual assault are complicated, two things are not complicated. One is that women deserve to be treated with dignity and respect, and when they step forward they should be heard, not silenced. The second is that their stories should be subject to appropriate inquiry and scrutiny.
“Responsible news organizations should examine and evaluate the full and growing record of inconsistencies in her story, which has changed repeatedly in both small and big ways,” Biden said.
He said he has not reached out to Reade, and does not remember her making any complaint.
“This never happened, and when she first made the claim, we made it clear that it never happened, and it’s as simple as that,” Biden added.
Biden is the presumptive presidential nominee of the Democratic Party. He is likely to be formally nominated by the Democratic National Convention in Wisconsin in August.
PTI