2 more women have publicly accused Joe Biden of uncomfortable physical contact

Two more women have publicly accused former Vice President Joe Biden of unwanted physical contact.
One woman claimed Biden had put his hands on her thigh and hugged "just a little bit too long" during a sexual assault awareness event at the University of Nevada at Las Vegas, according to The New York Times.
Another woman alleged Biden moved his hands from her shoulder to her back while she and her husband posed for a photograph in 2012.
The pair of allegations follow those of two other women who have accused him of inappropriate physical contact.

Two more women have publicly accused former Vice President Joe Biden of inappropriately touching them in the past, according to a New York Times report on Tuesday.

Twenty-two year-old Caitlyn Caruso claimed Biden put his hand on her thigh and hugged "just a little bit too long" during a sexual assault awareness event at the University of Nevada at Las Vegas, according to The Times.

Caruso, who was 19 years old at the time, told The Times she did not bring attention to the alleged incident because she assumed it was how men behaved. Caruso said she had revealed details of her own sexual assault at the event, and she had expected Biden to appreciate the concept of physical boundaries.

"It doesn’t even really cross your mind that such a person would dare perpetuate harm like that," she told The Times. "These are supposed to be people you can trust."

DJ Hill, the second woman, alleged Biden moved his hands from her shoulder to her back while she and her husband posed for a photograph in 2012. Hill, who is 59 years old, said her husband witnessed the incident and put his own hand on Biden’s shoulder.

In addition to the two allegations made on Tuesday, two other women have accused him of making physical contact that made them uncomfortable.

Amy Lappos, 43, alleged Joe Biden grabbed her head to rub noses at a 2009 fundraiser for a congressman, who she formerly worked for as an aide.

Lucy Flores, 39, accused Biden of "[planting] a big slow kiss on the back of my head" during a campaign event in 2014. The former Nevada assemblywoman and the Democratic nominee for lieutenant governor of Nevada said she was "embarrassed" and "shocked" by the incident.

Biden responded to Flores’ allegations by claiming he was not aware he had acted inappropriately.

"In my many years on the campaign trail and in public life, I have offered countless handshakes, hugs, expressions of affection, support and comfort," Biden said in a statement. "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."

Amid the growing number of public allegations, some Democratic officials and activists have supported Biden, who is considering running in the upcoming presidential election. One of the women who was pictured in viral photo with Biden described the narrative behind her experience as misleading in an essay posted on Medium.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said on Monday that Flores’ and Lappos’ allegations were not a disqualifying factor for Biden. Former White House senior adviser Valerie Jarrett also agreed with the assessment and approved of Biden’s statement following the report.

"I appreciate the fact that he said men, and not just himself, but men generally, have to start listening," Jarrett said to CBS News. "I think that’s a step in the right direction."

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Source: Business Insider – dchoi@businessinsider.com (David Choi)