Biden breaks silence, denies sexually assaulting ex-staffer

New York: Breaking weeks of silence, former Vice President Joe Biden has denied festering allegations that he had sexually assaulted a former staffer.

"I'm saying unequivocally it never, never happened," Biden said on Friday of the allegations made by Tara Reade, who was a staff assistant his senate office in 1993, when she alleged the assault took place.

The allegations against Biden, who is expected to be the Democratic presidential candidate, has put the party and the #MeToo movement in a bind because of their assertions in other cases, notably that of Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh, that women must be unequivocally be believed.

"Believing women means taking the woman's claim seriously. But in the end, in every case, the truth is what matters. And in this case, the truth is, the claims are false," he said.

Biden has received support from several women leaders of the Democratic Party.

Dismissing the accusation, Speaker Nancy Pelosi called Biden "a person of great integrity, great concern for the American people" and expressed support for him and his candidacy. (IANS)

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