On Sunday, former Vice President Joe Biden said he believed he had never acted inappropriately — this coming after allegations by a female activist who said that he made her feel uncomfortable by kissing her at a campaign event in 2014.
Biden said he does not recall the 2014 incident, adding “in my many years on the campaign trail and in public life, I have offered countless handshakes, hugs, expressions of affection, support and comfort. And not once – never – did I believe I acted inappropriately. If it is suggested I did so, I will listen respectfully. But it was never my intention.”
Biden added: “I may not recall these moments the same way, and I may be surprised at what I hear. But we have arrived at an important time when women feel they can and should relate their experiences, and men should pay attention. And I will.”
The allegation was made in an online essay published on Friday by Lucy Flores, a party activist who was running to be Nevada’s lieutenant governor. Flores said Biden also touched her shoulders and smelled her hair when they appeared at an event together, making her feel uncomfortable.
Biden served eight years as vice president under former President Barack Obama and 36 years in the U.S. Senate.
Editorial credit: Evan El-Amin / Shutterstock.com