Biden accuser says he should withdraw from race

Former Senate staffer Tara Reade told journalist Megyn Kelly during an on-camera interview that former Vice President Joe Biden “should not be running on character for the president of the United States.” Reade accuses the presumptive Democratic nominee of sexually assaulting her in 1993 when she worked for him during his second term as a U.S. senator from Delaware. Biden has denied the accusation.

How are Reade’s accusations shaping the race? So far, most Democrats have met Reade’s account with skepticism. But more supporting details have emerged: A 1996 court document from Reade’s ex-husband, Theodore Dronen, referenced “a problem [Reade] was having at work regarding sexual harassment in U.S. Senator Joe Biden’s office.” The document, obtained by The Tribune in San Luis Obispo County, Calif., does not explicitly say Biden harassed Reade. Dronen wrote that the event “had a very traumatic effect” on his former wife.

Dig deeper: Read my report in The Stew about documents Biden has asked the Senate to release that may shed light on the case.