The New York Times has issued a statement slamming the talking points being sent around by Joe Biden’s campaign claiming that the newspaper cleared him of the sexual assault allegations by his former staffer.
The talking point has already been echoed by Stacey Abrams, who has been lobbying to be his VP pick, and many others.
“BuzzFeed reported on the existence of talking points being circulated by the Biden campaign that inaccurately suggest a New York Times investigation found that Tara Reade’s allegation ‘did not happen,’” Times Vice President of Communications Danielle Rhoades Ha said in a statement. “Our investigation made no conclusion either way. As BuzzFeed correctly reported, our story found three former Senate aides whom Reade said she complained to contemporaneously, all of whom either did not remember the incident or said that it did not happen.”
Reade has claimed that she was sexually assaulted by then-Senator Joe Biden in 1993 while she was working for him. Her claim has been corroborated by several people that she told about the incident in the 1990s, including a former neighbor. She has alleged that he cornered her in his office and shoved his fingers inside of her, without her consent.
When questioned by CNN’s Don Lemon about the allegation, Abrams pointed to the New York Times report.
"I think that he's telling the truth and that this did not happen."
Former Democratic Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams said she believes the denial issued by former Vice President Joe Biden's campaign regarding Tara Reade's allegation of sexual assault in 1993. pic.twitter.com/fKWmSgWk7V
— CNN Tonight (@CNNTonight) April 29, 2020
Abrams statement came directly from talking points issued to supporters by Biden’s campaign that were first reported on by BuzzFeed’s Ruby Cramer.
“Biden believes that all women have the right to be heard and to have their claims thoroughly review. In this case, a thorough review by the New York Times has led to the truth: this incident did not happen,” the talking points state.
The New York Times article did not clear Biden or deem the allegation uncredible.
The article they have been referencing, “Examining Tara Reade’s Sexual Assault Allegation Against Joe Biden,” actually states that “a friend said that Ms. Reade told her the details of the allegation at the time. Another friend and a brother of Ms. Reade’s said she told them over the years about a traumatic sexual incident involving Mr. Biden.”
Biden has still not addressed the allegation.
