Tara Reade's Attorney Just Made a Big Announcement

Douglas Wigdor is dropping Biden accuser as his client, but he's offering few details
By Newser Editors and Wire Services
Posted May 22, 2020 12:32 PM CDT
Tara Reade Attorney: I'm Out
In this August 23, 2011, file photo, attorney Douglas Wigdor reacts during a press conference in Paris.   (AP Photo/Jacques Brinon)

The attorney working with Tara Reade, the former Joe Biden Senate staffer who alleged he sexually assaulted her in the 1990s, said Friday he's no longer representing her, just two weeks after he first began working with her. Douglas Wigdor said the decision wasn't a reflection on the veracity of her claims, per the AP. However, he offered no specifics on why he and his firm are dropping her. The news was first reported by the New York Times. Wigdor said he and others at his firm still believe Reade's allegation against Biden: that he digitally penetrated her and groped her in the basement of a Capitol Hill office building when she worked as a staffer in his Senate office in 1993. Biden has vehemently denied her claims, and multiple current and ex-Biden staffers have said they have no recollection of such an incident.

Wigdor said his firm believed Reade has been "subjected to a double standard" in the media. Wigdor fielded numerous media questions in recent weeks surrounding inconsistencies in Reade's biography and the legal challenges she's faced. This week, the AP and other outlets published biographies on Reade, revealing she appears to have exaggerated her educational achievements, was mired in endless financial difficulties, and faced frequent lawsuits with individuals who said she defrauded them or failed to pay bills. Wigdor is well known for his work on prominent cases related to sexual harassment and assault. He represented six women who accused Harvey Weinstein of sexual misconduct. He's also a frequent political donor, giving tens of thousands to Democratic politicians in New York and about $55,000 to Donald Trump in 2016, per FEC records.

(More Tara Reade stories.)

Get the news faster.
Tap to install our app.
X
Install the Newser News app
in two easy steps:
1. Tap in your navigation bar.
2. Tap to Add to Home Screen.

X