Politics

Tara Reade Gets Help From Firm That Represents Weinstein Victims

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The law firm of a Trump-supporting attorney who advocated for Christine Ford announced Thursday it will represent Tara Reade, who accused former Vice President Joe Biden of sexual assault.

Wigdor LLP announced in a Thursday press release that the firm will be representing Reade and her allegations of sexual assault against Biden, who denies the accusation. News of Reade’s representation comes after a Monday report from the Daily Caller News Foundation highlighting the Biden accuser’s lack of legal representation.

“We at Wigdor LLP firmly believe that every survivor of sexual assault has the right to competent legal counsel, and we will represent Ms. Reade zealously, just as we would any other victim of sexual violence,” the firm said in press release.

Reade has accused Biden, a 2020 Democratic presidential candidate, of kissing her, touching her and penetrating her with his fingers without her consent when she worked for him as a Senate staffer in 1993. Both Biden and his campaign have denied Reade’s allegations several times.

The press release adds that it is “inevitable” that the firm, and specifically partner Douglas Wigdor, will face attacks due to Wigdor’s support for President Donald Trump during the 2016 presidential election.

“However, any objective view of Mr. Wigdor’s career and the history of the Firm (which is comprised of partners, lawyers and staff from all political parties) belie such a false narrative and make clear that our representation is simply a continuation of our objective support of all legitimate victims,” the press release adds.

The firm lists Wigdor’s long history of supporting those who bring forward allegations of sexual assault, harassment, and discrimination. “Our representation of Ms. Reade has absolutely nothing to do with politics,” according to the press release.

Wigdor advocated for Ford throughout the nomination of Kavanaugh, represented former Fox News host Bill O’Reilly’s accuser Juliette Huddy, and served as lead counsel to a group of employees charging Fox News with race discrimination and harassment, according to the press release.

The press release notes that Wigdor also represented six different Harvey Weinstein victims and has “vehemently objected” to the proposed civil settlement Weinstein’s victims — “to his own financial detriment.”

“We have decided to take this matter on because every survivor has the right to competent counsel, and that is exactly what we will provide,” the press release says. “As Mr. Biden himself has acknowledged, ‘believing women means taking the women’s claims seriously when she steps forward, and then vet[ting] it and look[ing] into it . . . women have a right to be heard.'”

“We will help Ms. Reade be heard,” the firm said.