CNN did a deep dive into Reade and her accusations of sexual harassment/assault against Joe Biden and concluded, “A complicated life and conflicting accounts muddle efforts to understand Tara Reade's allegation against Joe Biden.” If you ask me, that’s being generous. Because putting aside the many inconsistencies in her story, the claim that Biden sexually assaulted her in a Senate hallway during business hours is pretty much impossible to believe on the face of it.
I’ll just say the CNN report did nothing to bolster Reade’s credibility. Especially this, about her life after she fled her violent marriage:
Reade told CNN that she received a bachelor of arts degree from Antioch University in Seattle under the auspices of a "protected program," personally working with the former president of the school to ensure her identity was protected while she obtained credits for her degree. She also said that she was a visiting professor at the school, on and off for five years.
Presented with this, Karen Hamilton, an Antioch University spokesperson, told CNN that "Alexandra McCabe [as Tara Reade was then known] attended but did not graduate from Antioch University. She was never a faculty member. She did provide several hours of administrative work."
An Antioch University official told CNN that such a "protected program" does not exist and never has.
Reade graduated from Seattle University School of Law in 2004, gaining admission to the school through its Alternative Admission Program.
Reade has also testified in court numerous times as an expert witness for the prosecution in domestic violence cases.
Now, defense attorneys are reviewing cases in which she testified with an eye toward reopening them if the resumé she swore to is found to be false.
For the record, Reade disputes CNN’s account. Monterey Weekly reported, “She says that her degree from Antioch University in Seattle was conferred under special circumstances by former Chancellor Toni Murdock." That publication called her account "corroborated" by an "unofficial transcript from the Seattle University School of Law, which lists Antioch University as Reade’s prior degree granting institution.”
Today, Reade’s pro-Trump lawyer, Douglas Wigdor (who has also represented plaintiffs suing Fox News for racial and gender discrimination), dropped her as a client, just two weeks after taking her on. He did not explain the decision. In a statement to the press, Wigdor wrote:
Our Firm no longer represents Tara Reade. Our decision, made on May 20, is by no means a reflection on whether then-Senator Biden sexually assaulted Ms. Reade. On that point, our view — which is the same view held by the majority of Americans, according to a Harvard CAPS-Harris Poll — has not changed. We also believe that to a large extent Ms. Reade has been subjected to a double standard in terms of the media coverage she has received. Much of what has been written about Ms. Reade is not probative of whether then-Senator Biden sexually assaulted her, but rather is intended to victim-shame and attack her credibility on unrelated and irrelevant matters. We genuinely wish Ms. Reade well and hope that she, as a survivor, is treated fairly. We have and will continue to represent survivors regardless of their alleged predator’s status or politics.”
We will not be providing further comment.