On Wednesday, Joe Biden dared to claim that he got into politics because “the greatest sin that anyone can commit is the abuse of power.”
“I got into politics, involved in politics because I think that the greatest sin that anyone can commit is the abuse of power,” he said. “Whatever that power is: the power of a teacher, the power of a doctor, the power of a leader — when someone is relying on you or you cannot … just the abuse of power.”
It wasn’t the first time he’s used this theme in a speech. A few years ago, he said, “The worst sin a man or woman can commit is to abuse power,” before adding, “Sexual assault and rape aren’t about sex; it’s about abuse of power.”
Methinks Biden doth protest too much because at least eight women would say that Joe Biden abused his power.
Ally Coll
During the 2008 election cycle, former Democratic staffer Ally Coll was helping run a reception for about 50 people. After Biden arrived, she was introduced to him. According to her, Biden “leaned in, squeezed her shoulders and delivered a compliment about her smile, holding her ‘for a beat too long,’” which Coll later realized was inappropriate.
“There’s been a lack of understanding about the way that power can turn something that might seem innocuous into something that can make somebody feel uncomfortable,” said Coll.
Amy Lappos
The following year, Democratic political activist Amy Lappos claimed that Joe Biden touched her inappropriately and that she was afraid to speak out because he was vice president at the time.
“It wasn’t sexual, but he did grab me by the head,” Lappos told the Hartford Courant last year. “He put his hand around my neck and pulled me in to rub noses with me. When he was pulling me in, I thought he was going to kiss me on the mouth.”
“I never filed a complaint, to be honest, because he was the vice president. I was a nobody,” Lappos explained. “There’s absolutely a line of decency. There’s a line of respect. Crossing that line is not grandfatherly. It’s not cultural. It’s not affection. It’s sexism or misogyny.”
D. J. Hill
D. J. Hill met Biden at a 2012 fundraiser in Minneapolis, Minn. During a photo-op with him, she says he put his hand on her shoulder and lowered it down her back, making her feel “very uncomfortable” until her husband intervened.
Vail Kohnert-Yount
In 2013, Vail Kohnert-Yount was a White House intern when she says Biden approached her to shake her hand in the basement of the West Wing and introduce himself. During this encounter, she says Biden “put his hand on the back of my head and pressed his forehead to my forehead” and called her “a pretty girl.” She was shocked by the incident, describing it as “the kind of inappropriate behavior that makes many women feel uncomfortable and unequal in the workplace.”
Lucy Flores
Former Nevada state assemblywoman Lucy Flores says that Biden touched her inappropriately and kissed her on the head during a 2014 campaign rally.
“Just before the speeches, we were ushered to the side of the stage where we were lined up by order of introduction. As I was taking deep breaths and preparing myself to make my case to the crowd, I felt two hands on my shoulders. I froze. Why is the vice-president of the United States touching me?”
Flores says that Biden leaned in closer and began sniffing her hair. “Why is the vice-president of the United States smelling my hair?” she thought. Then, she says, he planted “a big slow kiss” on the back of her head, leaving her embarrassed, shocked, and confused.
Caitlyn Caruso
In 2016, Biden again crossed the line with a 19-year-old sexual assault survivor. Caitlyn Caruso had been speaking at an event on sexual assault at the University of Las Vegas, and Joe Biden was there. According to Caruso, after sharing her experience with sexual assault, Biden “rested his hand on her thigh — even as she squirmed in her seat to show her discomfort—and hugged her ‘just a little bit too long’.”
“It doesn’t even really cross your mind that such a person would dare perpetuate harm like that,” she said. “These are supposed to be people you can trust.”
Sofie Karasek
Biden was inappropriate with yet another sexual assault survivor, Sofie Karasek, one of 50 sexual assault survivors who appeared on stage with Lady Gaga at the Oscars. After the ceremony, Karasek shared with Biden a story about a college student who committed suicide after being sexually assaulted, and Biden reportedly responded by “clasping her hands and leaning down to place his forehead against hers.”
“He emphasized that he wants to connect with people and, of course, that’s important. But again, all of our interactions and friendships are a two-way street,” Karasek said. “Too often it doesn’t matter how the woman feels about it or they just assume that they’re fine with it.”
Tara Reade
Perhaps the most well-known of Biden’s accusers is Tara Reade. In 2019, she said that Biden used to touch her inappropriately while she was a staffer in his Senate office in 1993. “He used to put his hand on my shoulder and run his finger up my neck,” Reade said. “I would just kind of freeze and wait for him to stop doing that.” She later expanded on those allegations, claiming in March 2020 that Biden sexually assaulted her by pushing her up against the wall, kissing her, and sliding his hand up her shirt and skirt. Reade attempted to file a claim, but loyalists ultimately protected Biden on his staff.
