On the heels of the allegation made by former Nevada Lt. Gov. nominee Lucy Flores (D) last Friday that Joe Biden inappropriately touched her at a 2014 campaign event comes another one, this time out of Connecticut.
The Hartford Courant reports:
A Connecticut woman says Joe Biden touched her inappropriately and rubbed noses with her during a 2009 political fundraiser in Greenwich when he was vice president, drawing further scrutiny to the Democrat and his history of unwanted contact with women as he ponders a presidential run.
“It wasn’t sexual, but he did grab me by the head,” Amy Lappos told The Courant Monday. “He put his hand around my neck and pulled me in to rub noses with me. When he was pulling me in, I thought he was going to kiss me on the mouth.”
Lappos posted about the alleged incident on the Facebook page of Connecticut Women in Politics Sunday in response to a similar account by former Nevada legislator Lucy Flores, which comes as Biden is considering a 2020 run for president. Flores accused Biden of kissing her on the back of her head in 2014, when she was a candidate for lieutenant governor.
Lappos, 43, who is now a freelance worker with nonprofit agencies, said she felt extremely uncomfortable when Biden approached her at the 2009 fundraiser for U.S. Rep. Jim Himes, D-4th, where she was volunteering. At the time, Lappos was a congressional aide to Himes, who she said was not in the room when the incident took place.
Here’s what Lappos posted in the comments of the Facebook post mentioned by the Courant:
Biden did something similar to me at a fundraiser in Greenwich when I was a Congressional Aide. I’m really disappointed to see this post ask “thoughts” as if the grossness of men invading women’s boundaries to sniff and touch is is debatable. And shame on some of the women here excusing this as boys being boys or it’s not as bad as Trump.
I can speak from experience when I say it’s an incredibly uncomfortable situation and not at all acceptable.
We need to hold our men to the same standards we hold all men.
Lappos’s comments echo remarks made by Flores in response to questions about the piece she wrote last week accusing Biden of similar behavior, which Red State‘s Sarah Lee covered here:
On Sunday, Ms. Flores described the incident, which Mr. Biden had said he did not recall, as “disqualifying,” given what she called his history of “acting inappropriately with women” and a political climate in which young Democratic “foot soldiers” like herself are no longer willing to “keep our mouths shut.”
“We’re often pressured to keep our mouths shut about anything,” Ms. Flores told CNN’s “State of the Union.” “We, as party loyalists, as party stalwarts, are foot soldiers for the party. We’re expected to, quote-unquote, keep our dirty laundry to ourselves. And it’s always in service to the party.”
In a statement Sunday, Biden addressed the allegations from Flores, stating that “not once — never — did I believe I acted inappropriately” but that he was willing to “respectfully” listen to what Flores had to say.
A spokesman for Biden went on a Twitter rant earlier today, saying some of the photos being circulated of Biden are “smears and forgeries”:
NEW- Biden spokesman Bill Russo responds to fallout from Lucy Flores’ accusation by saying some of the awkward photos she cited are “smears and forgeries.” pic.twitter.com/hlbXCwKNVi
— Hunter Walker (@hunterw) April 1, 2019
NEW: Lengthy statement from Biden spox: "Conversation about these issues are not advanced, nor are any criticisms of Vice President Biden validated, by the continued misrepresentation of the Carter and Coons moments, or a failure to be vigilant about a cottage industry of lies.” pic.twitter.com/hmNO3IuhYH
— Evan McMurry (@evanmcmurry) April 1, 2019
These are the type of inappropriate touchy-feely behavior that, while not always rising to the level of a sexual assault, women most often deal with in the workplace. There’s not a woman in America who hasn’t experienced what Flores and Lappos have described as going through. The handsy aspects. The invasion of personal space. Feeling a co-worker’s breath on your hair or neck or cheek as they unexpectedly lean in closer.
These allegations will resonate with women who know how it feels to be in these situations.
And contra to what Biden’s comms team and other supporters are saying, this is not acceptable behavior – no matter who you are.
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—Sister Toldjah is a former liberal and a 15+ year veteran of blogging with an emphasis on media bias, social issues, and the culture wars. Read her Red State archives here. Connect with her on Twitter.–
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