Tara Reade, an ex-congressional aide to US President Joe Biden who accused him of sexual assault, has indicated that she intends to apply for a Russian passport. The ex-staffer-turned-journalist recently moved to Russia, claiming she no longer felt safe in the US.
Speaking on Tuesday at a press conference, Reade said that after being constantly persecuted in the US over her allegations, she hoped to “find safety” in Russia – a country she never regarded as an enemy – adding that she “appreciates my friends in Moscow… that have opened their arms” to welcome her.
“I’m going to make a request, and it is a large one. I’d like to apply for citizenship in Russia from the President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin,” the ex-aide stated, promising to be “a good citizen.”
In 2020, at the height of the US presidential race, Reade accused Biden, then the presumptive Democratic nominee, of having sexually assaulted her in 1993 when she was working for him as an aide in the Senate. Biden has unequivocally denied the allegation.
Reade said that when she told one US congressman that she was ready to testify on the corruption in the US government, the latter expressed concerns about her physical safety. She also went on to describe herself as a whistleblower, who under US law should be protected.
“Where is my protection?... It is remarkable that Joe Biden raped me when I worked for him at the US Congress, and I’m supposed to be the fugitive. That is ridiculous,” she stated.
Speaking to Sputnik, she said that while the decision to move to Russia was “very difficult”, she liked staying in the country. “I'm still kind of in a daze a bit but I feel very good,” Reade noted. “I feel very surrounded by protection and safety.”