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- D.C. & Sexual Violence
- Tara's History
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Anita Hill testifies about sexual harassment by Clarence Thomas
Anita Hill testifies before Congress that Clarence Thomas sexually harassed her while she worked for him. In response to the charges that Thomas repeatedly tried to get Hill to go out with him and forced her to endure explicit sexual conversations, Senator Howard Metzenbaum of Ohio remarked that half the Senate was also guilty of […]
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Tara Reade is Hired by Biden’s office
When I applied for Joe Biden’s office, I had a phone interview and then they offered me an in-person interview. And so I went out to DC and I interviewed in person and when I was there, the scheduler interviewed me and Joe Biden happened to walk past. He saw me and she introduced me […]
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Tara Reade Experiences first instance of sexual harassment in Biden’s office
Tara is asked to serve drinks at a fundraising event because “the Senator thinks that you’re pretty and that you have nice legs.”
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Tara Reade Complains informally of sexual harassment to her supervisor and experiences retaliation
I did a non-formal thing by just going to my supervisor. That’s when I was met with some of [my supervisor’s] attitude about the whole thing. Like why wasn’t I complimented, that people would be flattered to be liked by Joe Biden. And basically she was also admonishing me to keep my head down if […]
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everything shattered in that moment: Joe Biden Sexually Assaults Tara Reade
The scheduler called me in and said, I want you to take this to Joe. He wants you to bring it, hurry. And I said, okay. And it was a gym bag. She called it an athletic bag. She said he was down towards the Capitol and “he’ll meet you.” And so I went down […]
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Tara Reade tells her mother about the assault
So then I went home and I called my mom because I didn’t know who else to call and she was wanting me to go make a police report, like right away. My mom was very adamant that I do that. And I said, no. And we had an argument about it. I said, Mom, […]
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Tara Reade tells her friend about the assault
But Reade’s friend, the one who spoke to the AP on the condition of anonymity, said Reade told her a much different story about Biden in 1993. That’s when Reade says she was asked to deliver a gym bag to Biden in a Senate office building; when she met him, she says, he kissed her […]
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Tara Reade Files an official complaint
I did try to complain about the harassment internally, but I was going through protocol. You go to your supervisor first, then to Dennis Toner, then to Ted Kaufman. I was following the protocol how you [were supposed to do] it, right? Yeah. But they didn’t do anything right. And then it got worse and […]
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“They put me in a windowless office. And I was cut off from staff. I was not supervising the interns anymore. Literally, my job was to show up and just look for another job.”
Tara’s work dynamic suffers, she believes in retaliation for her attempt to report the sexual harassment she experienced in Biden’s office. But the time frame for me from this event [request to serve drinks and my taking it up with supervisors] to when I met him with the gym bag and the [assault] incident is […]
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Tara Volunteers at RFK’s 25th Anniversary Memorial
In June I was volunteering for the RFK Memorial, the 25th anniversary. I did the VIP tent and I was talking to a person in Kennedy’s office who was trying to help me backdoor, to get [Biden’s office] to stop what they were doing. – Tara Reade
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Tara’s employment in Biden’s senate office officially ends
I think my Senate record goes until August, but I remember leaving before then. I didn’t have a job. I couldn’t get a job. Once word got around unofficially about my trying to file a complaint, filling out a form and stuff, it’s like no one, no one on the Hill…Usually when I would send […]
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“I’m wondering what a staffer would do besides go to the press in Washington?” – Tara’s mother calls Larry King
In a “Larry King Live” segment that aired on August 11, 1993, on CNN, an unnamed woman calls in to the show with her location identified on the screen as San Luis Obispo, California. The show was about the cutthroat nature of Washington, DC, politics and media. “Yes, hello. I’m wondering what a staffer would […]
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“If you drag $100 through a trailer park, you never know what you’ll find” – Paula Jones sues President Bill Clinton
Paula Jones sues President Bill Clinton, alleging that he exposed his genitals to her after calling her into a hotel room in 1991 when he was the Governor of Arkansas and she was a state employee. Clinton staffers degrade Jones in the press. James Carville says of Jones, “If you drag a $100 bill through […]
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Tara Reade starts working for State Senator Jack O’Connell
After she left Washington, DC, Reade worked for California state Sen. Jack O’Connell. Lorraine Sanchez, a former legislative staffer in O’Connell’s office, mentored Reade and worked alongside her from 1994 through 1996. Sanchez told Insider that Reade complained at the time about being mistreated by her former employer. “[Reade said] she had been sexually harassed […]
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Congress attempts to reign in abuse with Congressional Accountability Act
Congress passes the Congressional Accountability Act, providing the same protections for Congressional staff that are afforded to workers in private workplaces. The CAA includes an arduous and punishing process for reporting concerns about sexual misconduct.
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Tara tells her neighbor Lynda LaCasse about the assault
A former neighbor of Joe Biden’s accuser Tara Reade has come forward to corroborate her sexual-assault account, saying Reade discussed the allegations in detail in the mid-1990s Read More: https://www.businessinsider.com/former-neighbor-corroborates-joe-bidens-accuser-2020-4
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Tara Divorces her ex-husband
After years of a frightening marriage with a violent domestic abuser, Tara Reade is finally able to divorce her ex-husband. A court document from 1996 corroborates that Tara told her ex-husband she was sexually harassed while working for Joe Biden. In it, her ex-husband wrote, I met Petitioner in the spring of 1993 while working […]
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Bill Clinton’s Affair with a 22-year-old intern goes public
Details of Bill Clinton’s affair with White House intern Monica Lewinsky go public, spurring debate among feminists about power and consent. Though Clinton was 49 and the President of the United States when he initiated a sexual relationship with the 22-year-old intern, there is little popular support for Lewinsky, who is smeared in the media, […]
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Tara Reade Attends Seattle University School of Law
She graduated with a law degree in 2004.
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“When I was in Washington, D.C. I was sexually assaulted by someone you would know.”
While attending law school, Tara tells classmate Joseph Backholm that she was assaulted:
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“Me Too.”
Tarana Burke adopts the phrase Me Too in reference to a campaign of work supporting survivors of sexual violence and harassment.
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“…being accosted by Biden in the well of the senate in the weeks immediately following his first wife’s fatal car accident”
“Biden is a notorious flapjaw. His vanity deludes him into believing that every word that drops from his mouth is minted in the golden currency of Pericles. Vanity is the most conspicuous characteristic of US Senators en bloc, nourished by deferential acolytes and often expressed in loutish sexual advances to staffers, interns and the like. […]
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“Grab ’em by the pussy. You can do anything.”
The Washington Post shares a leaked recording from a 2005 taping of “Access Hollywood” in which Donald Trump can be heard telling Billy Bush, “You know, I’m automatically attracted to beautiful — I just start kissing them. It’s like a magnet. Just kiss. I don’t even wait. And when you’re a star, they let you […]
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36 Prominent Republicans Call on Trump To Step Down
“A mere day after the Washington Post reported on Trump’s “extremely lewd conversation” in 2005, thirty-six high-profile Republicans publicly called for him to step down and end his campaign. This included not just anti-Trump Republicans like Sens. Ben Sasse (R-NE), Jeff Flake (R-AZ), and Mike Lee (R-UT) — who, incidentally, had been shortlisted by Trump for […]
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“Congress has done very little to tighten its controls over sexual harassment”
In a survey of congressional staff by CQ Roll Call, 1 in 6 women report personal experience with sexual harassment on Capitol Hill. “In 1995, Congress enacted a law aimed at ensuring its staffers enjoy the same workplace rights as those in the private sector. That was about the same time Conway was founding her […]
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Taxpayers foot the bill for two decades of Congressional Sexual Harassment
The Washington Post reports that Congress’s Office of Compliance paid out over $17 million since 1997 in settlements to 264 federal employees for violations of employment rules, including sexual harassment.
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Rep. Blake Farenthold Resigns After Spending $84k to Settle Sexual Harassment Case
Republican Representative Blake Farenthold finally resigns after it came to light that he used $84,000 in taxpayer money to settle a sexual harassment case brought by a former spokesperson, who said the Congressman told her that he had sexual fantasies and dreams about her.
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John Conyers Resigns Over Sexual Harassment Allegations
Senator John Conyers resigns. “Several women have accused the Michigan Democrat, who is the most senior member of Congress, of verbal abuse, inappropriate touching and groping over decades.”
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“Franken offered no apology to the seven women.”
Senator Al Franken resigns after seven women accuse him of groping them and/or forcibly kissing them. “Still, Franken offered no apology on Thursday to the seven women who have alleged sexually improper behavior. He noted in his speech that in responding to the women, he ‘wanted to be respectful’ of the broader national conversation about […]
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Representative Trent Frank resigns over sexual misconduct allegations.
Representative Trent Franks resigns in the midst of multiple allegations of sexual misconduct. “The sources said Franks approached two female staffers about acting as a potential surrogate for him and his wife, who has struggled with fertility issues for years. But the aides were concerned that Franks was asking to have sexual relations with them. […]
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“Her treatment in the halls of power . . . would send a signal to countless survivors wrestling with whether they should speak up.”
Christine Blasey Ford testifies before the Senate Judiciary Committee, sharing that Supreme Court Justice nominee Brett Kavanaugh attempted to rape her decades earlier. She says that she is 100% certain that it was Kavanaugh who attacked her. From the Time article How Christine Blasey Ford’s Testimony Changed America: “Ford’s testimony slowed the machinery of political […]
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No Re-election for House Dem Accused of sexual harassment by multiple women
Representative Ruben Kihuen chooses not to seek re-election after multiple women come forward to accuse him of sexual harassment. “Last year, a 25-year-old woman left her job on Democratic Rep. Ruben Kihuen’s campaign because of what she says were repeated, unwanted propositions for dates and sex.”
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Rep. Patrick Meehan resigns to cut ethics investigation short
Representative Patrick Meehan resigns after it comes to light that he used taxpayer money to settle a sexual harassment complaint from a former staffer. “Meehan is the fifth lawmaker to resign amid allegations of sexual misconduct, and the seventh to face such allegations in the wake of a national “Me Too” movement countering sexual harassment […]
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Lucy Flores is the first woman to publicly accuse Joe Biden of inappropriate touching
An Awkward Kiss Changed How I Saw Joe Biden Imagine you’re at work and a male colleague who you have no personal relationship with approaches you from behind, smells your hair, and kisses you on the head. Now imagine it’s the CEO of the company. If Biden and I worked together in a traditional office, […]
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Tara Reade tells The Union about harassment in Biden’s office
Nevada County woman says Joe Biden inappropriately touched her while working in his U.S. Senate office
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Seven Women Accuse Biden of Inappropriate Touching
More women have come forward accusing Joe Biden of uncomfortable physical contact, bringing the total to 7 In addition to the three allegations made on Wednesday, four other women have accused him of making physical contact that made them uncomfortable. Twenty-two year-old Caitlyn Caruso claimed Biden put his hand on her thigh and hugged “just […]
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At his first public event since the allegations of inappropriate touching, Joe Biden cracks jokes
At his first public event since a host of women have accused him of inappropriate touching, former Vice President Joe Biden cracked two jokes about the allegations, leading to a second round of criticism — including from at least one of his accusers. Within the first minute of Biden’s speech at the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers on […]
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Tara tweets that she “only included experiences that had witnesses”
He was younger of course when I worked there so very strong presence. There was a more sexually dominant culture by men then that was socially acceptable and encouraged. I experienced it as I described. I only included experiences that had witnesses. — Tara Reade (@ReadeAlexandra) April 9, 2019
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“‘I’m Sorry’ Is Not Enough”
In preparation for his presidential bid, Joe Biden calls Anita Hill to clear the air and expresses “his regret for what she endured 28 years ago.” The call is not enough. Hill said. “I will be satisfied when I know that there is real change and real accountability and real purpose.” Hill says that Biden […]
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Tara Reade continues to try and get her story out to the media
“I went to media outlets [in] the summer and before January, nobody ever returned my call. Not one. I went to Warren, I wrote a letter to her… And I was supportive of her becoming president. I would have loved to have seen a woman president. I wrote [to] her. What happened—I alluded to it. […]
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Tara gets in contact with Time’s Up
“I contacted TimesUp, which is an organization for women that helps them get resources if you apply for legal resources and to help you…they took my case and after they took my case, they contacted lawyers to see if there were conflicts [of interest]. Some replied and then when they heard about the full thing, […]
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months Before Tara Reade’s accusation, it’s announced that Joe Biden’s Senate Papers Will Remain Locked Up For 2020
Joe Biden’s Senate Papers Will Remain Locked Up For 2020 Dec. 31, 2019, has come and gone, and the papers aren’t available. And because Biden is running for president, the university still considers him to be in “public life,” as a spokeswoman told The Washington Post in July. But that also means that at a […]
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Tara learns that Time’s Up will not help her
“TimesUp got ahold of me [and said] that their lawyers told them their 501(c)(3) [status] would be at risk because it’s a presidential campaign and it’s too political and Biden was a candidate. And so they said, we can help you, but not with resources. So in other words, I needed a lawyer that would […]
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Joe Biden campaign hires Anita Dunn, who previously offered Harvey Weinstein free PR advice
Joe Biden shakes up campaign by elevating veteran Democratic strategist Anita Dunn via NBC Anita Dunn had previously offered Harvey Weinstein PR advice free of charge.
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Ryan Grim breaks the story about Time’s Up refusing to help Tara
TIME’S UP SAID IT COULD NOT FUND A #METOO ALLEGATION AGAINST JOE BIDEN, CITING ITS NONPROFIT STATUS AND HIS PRESIDENTIAL RUN When reached for comment by The Intercept, the program director Reade had spoken to referred questions to a NWLC spokesperson, Maria Patrick, who said that the organization has legal constraints. “As a nonprofit 501(c)(3) charitable […]
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Tara Reade finally tells her full story: The Katie Halper Interview
“I wanted to be a senator; I didn’t want to sleep with one” Read a transcript of this interview here.
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Survivor starts petition demanding that Biden step down from the nomination due to Tara Reade’s allegation
Joe Biden is unacceptable. In the era of #metoo and #timesup, how can we accept a democratic candidate with numerous credible accounts of harassment and assault? We have a choice. I say that not only because the primaries are not over, but because beating Donald Trump should not be the only ideal we strive to […]
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Alyssa Milano Endorses Biden in spite of Reade’s allegation
“I just don’t feel comfortable throwing away a decent man that I’ve known for 15 years in this time of complete chaos without there being a thorough investigation and I’m sure that the mainstream media would be jumping all over this… if they found more evidence through their investigation. So I’m just sort of staying […]
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Tara Reade files criminal complaint with DC Metro Police against Biden
Former staffer files criminal complaint against Joe Biden over 1993 sexual assault allegation In an interview, Reade told Business Insider that she filed the report in part because she had become a target of harassment after her initial allegations became public last year, and she wanted “to simply have documentation in case anything happened.” “I […]
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after taking 19 days to report on the allegation, The NYT delete tweet about Biden’s pattern of misconduct and stealth edit their article at the behest of his campaign
NYT Reports on Tara Reade’s Joe Biden Sexual Assault Allegation But Retracts Mention of Prior Sexual Misconduct The New York Times published a piece in which several witnesses corroborate elements of Reade’s account. The Times came under fire for then deleting a sentence in the article — which was also tweeted out — detailing previous […]
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Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is the first member of congress to address the allegations against Biden
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez: “It’s legitimate to talk about” allegations against Joe Biden New York Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on Tuesday night said the Democratic Party should discuss the recent sexual assault allegation against Joe Biden, a charge the presumptive nominee’s campaign has denied. Read more here.
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Anonymous Source Alleges Assault by Biden
Do I have to vote for a rapist if I live in a swing state? I, too, was sexually assaulted by Joe Biden. But if I go public, will I be called a liar? Will I be accused of being a Russian agent? Will my family and friends be attacked for corroborating my story? Will […]
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The interview NPR wouldn’t air: Tara Reade’s friend speaks out
NPR interviewed Tara’s friend, who we’ll call Jane Doe, but wouldn’t air it because she wouldn’t give her name. NPR plays anonymous interviews all the time, but wouldn’t play hers. Jane was one of the two people I spoke to who corroborated Tara Telling them about the assault. Plus Ryan Grim on breaking the story […]
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The Larry King Tape is unearthed, providing valuable corroborating evidence to Tara Reade’s allegations against Joe Biden
A new piece of evidence has emerged buttressing the credibility of Tara Reade’s claim that she told her mother about allegations of sexual harassment and assault related to her former boss, then-Sen. Joe Biden. Biden, through a spokesperson, has denied the allegations. Reade has claimed to various media outlets, including The Intercept, that she told […]
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Peter Daou, a Lebanese-American political strategist, activist, author, and former adviser to Hillary Clinton, tweets that Biden should withdraw
DIFFICULT THREAD – #BIDEN SHOULD WITHDRAW 1. I respect the will of the voters. 2. But new information has emerged supporting #TaraReade’s account of being sexually assaulted by #JoeBiden. 3. Credible rape accusations are disqualifying or we have NO moral standards. 4. Defeating Trump is NOT OPTIONAL. 5. To avoid potential catastrophe in Nov., #Biden […]
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Biden Campaign Advisers Accused of Deleting #MeToo Tweets
Top adviser accused of deleting Me Too tweets after Biden sexual assault allegations A senior adviser for Joe Biden’s presidential campaign is being accused of deleting her tweets about Christine Blasey Ford’s sexual assault allegations against then-Supreme Court justice nominee Brett Kavanaugh after a woman came forward with sexual assault allegations against Biden. via the […]
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Biden campaign circulates talking points among top democratic supporters regarding Reade’s allegation
Democrats Will Have To Answer Questions About Tara Reade. The Biden Campaign Is Advising Them To Say Her Story “Did Not Happen.” But the messaging shows that while Biden has stayed quiet on the allegations on the eve of his nomination, aides were taking the claims seriously enough behind the scenes to coordinate messaging among […]
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Former Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams parrots Biden campaign talking points
Here are the talking points laid out by the Biden campaign: “Biden believes that all women have the right to be heard and to have their claims thoroughly reviewed,” the talking points read, according to a copy sent to two Democratic operatives. “In this case, a thorough review by the New York Times has led […]
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DSA Socialist Feminists Call on Joe Biden to Drop Out
By defending Biden and attempting to discredit Reade, public figures and journalists are reviving the old standards of believability that kept generations of survivors from coming forward. Some progressives and feminists have attempted to acknowledge Reade’s legitimacy as a survivor while positing that Biden’s stature in the 2020 election against Trump is too important to […]
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Ilhan Omar: “I do believe Reade. Justice can be delayed, but should never be denied.”
Ilhan Omar says she believes Tara Reade’s sex assault claims against Biden Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar said she believes the sexual assault claims leveled at former Vice President Joe Biden by former Senate staffer Tara Reade. Read more here.
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Tara Reade is Interviewed by Ryan Knight
Ryan Knight chats with survivor Tara Reade about her brave journey to come forward and speak her truth. Listen to the episode
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Tara Reade is interviewed by 60 Minutes Australia
‘He’s a blue Trump’: Joe Biden’s accuser speaks to 60 Minutes in first Australian television interview Tara Reade, who earlier this year accused Presidential nominee Joe Biden of sexual assault, is set to tell her story on Australian television for the first time to 60 Minutes. In an exclusive interview with Nine News US Correspondent, […]