The unearthed 1993 Larry King Live clip that proved that Tara Reade did indeed disclose some sort of “problems” with working for Joe Biden made her initial allegation of sexual harassment credible. A blockbuster report from Rich McHugh at Business Insider has now made her allegation of a sexual assault in the form of forced penetration by hand credible as well.
Until now, the three living corroborative witnesses have either been too press-shy or shifty to trust fully. But McHugh found a crucial fourth witness, Reade’s former neighbor Lynda LaCasse. A self-described Biden supporter, LaCasse claimed that in 1995 or 1996, just two or three years after the alleged assault, Reade specifically said that Biden had assaulted her, not harassed her.
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“I remember her saying, here was this person that she was working for, and she idolized him,” LaCasse said. “And he kind of put her up against a wall. And he put his hand up her skirt, and he put his fingers inside her. She felt like she was assaulted, and she really didn’t feel there was anything she could do.”
LaCasse thought the situation was serious enough to recommend that Reade, who she says was crying and felt devastated, file a police report against the now-presumptive Democratic presidential nominee.
What’s more, McHugh, himself a veteran and highly credible reporter who broke parts of the Harvey Weinstein story with former colleague Ronan Farrow, confirmed in public records that Reade and LaCasse were neighbors and that the latter has extensively criticized President Trump and praised Biden on social media.
McHugh also found a second source, Reade’s former colleague at the California State Senate, Lorraine Sanchez, who claims Reade complained in the mid-1990s about being sexually harassed by her former boss in Washington. Unlike LaCasse, Sanchez does not recall Reade detailing the assault or naming Biden.
Does this all rise to the preponderance of the evidence? Not quite, but mainly because Biden’s camp and the media backing him haven’t moved any sort of investigation on the story. But if further investigation finds evidence of the complaint submitted to Biden’s office or if any other witness or office worker were to break from the official party line, it could easily become more likely than not that Biden actually did assault Reade.
Right now, Reade’s allegation is unproven in the court of public opinion. But it is now credible, meaning that witnesses and evidence have illustrated a consistent and plausible thread backing Reade’s allegation.
This story has officially become far bigger than any other political issue for the Biden campaign, and the only way to ameliorate it (if he really is innocent) is to stop looking scared of the truth emerging. Until then, it’ll continue to look like he has something to hide.
