This detailed PBS NewsHour report needs to be amplified:
The PBS NewsHour spoke with 74 former Biden staffers, of whom 62 were women, in order to get a broader picture of his behavior toward women over the course of his career, how they see the new allegation, and whether there was evidence of a larger pattern.
None of the people interviewed said that they had experienced sexual harassment, assault or misconduct by Biden. All said they never heard any rumors or allegations of Biden engaging in sexual misconduct, until the recent assault allegation made by Tara Reade. Former staffers said they believed Reade should be heard, and acknowledged that their experiences do not disprove her accusation.
In all, the NewsHour tried to contact nearly 200 former staffers of Biden’s, based primarily on public records of his time in the Senate and White House and also from interviews with current campaign advisers. They include former interns and senior aides, from his 1972 Senate campaign through his time at the White House.
Some are still in politics, others left long ago to pursue other careers. They were asked about Reade’s allegation but also whether they, or anyone they know, were ever uncomfortable around Biden. Many said that her sexual assault allegation was at odds with their knowledge of Biden’s behavior toward women.That's a small taste of the report, which is studded with quotes from former staffers about not only Joe Biden's general behavior, but also about the specifics of Tara Reade's allegations. Reade declined to be interviewed for the report, but her Trump- donor attorney responded with written answers to questions. The distinct odeur of ratfucking is starting to overwhelm.
The interviews revealed previously unreported details about the Biden office when Reade worked there, such as an account that she lost her job because of her poor performance, not as retaliation for lodging complaints about sexual harassment, as Reade has said.
Other recollections from former staffers corroborated things she has described publicly, such as Biden’s use of the Senate gym and a supervisor admonishing her for dressing inappropriately.
Overall, the people who spoke to the NewsHour described largely positive and gratifying experiences working for Biden, painting a portrait of someone who was ahead of his time in empowering women in the workplace. (our emphasis)
Hey, how about this: maybe the media can go back and spend some more time on those 20+ credible allegations of sexual assaults by Donald "Choad" Trump. We won't hold our breath.
BONUS: You can add this to the reading pile. And this. Then there's this May 8 Medium piece on Reade. We'll let you form your own judgements about what these articles tell us.
