Leading Democrats Stand Behind Biden After Sexual-Assault Allegation

Article here. Excerpt:

'Prominent Democrats, including some women thought to be on Joe Biden’s running-mate shortlist, have lined up behind the former vice president in the month since Tara Reade, a former Senate staffer, made public an allegation he sexually assaulted her once in the 1990s.

Sens. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota and Kamala Harris of California and former Georgia House Minority Leader Stacey Abrams all have said that they respect women making such allegations and take them seriously. But they haven’t wavered in their support for Mr. Biden, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, whose campaign has strongly denied the allegations.

For the most part, Democrats haven’t voiced their opinions on the accuracy of Ms. Reade’s claims. Instead, they have attested to the longtime lawmaker’s character and policy efforts. California Rep. Ro Khanna, a co-chairman of Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders’s presidential campaign, said President Obama had assessed his former No. 2, and “for me, that’s the ultimate vetting.” Mr. Sanders endorsed Mr. Biden on April 13, after suspending his campaign a week earlier.'