Harris: ‘I believe’ Biden accusers

Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) said Tuesday that she believes women who say they felt uncomfortable after receiving unwanted touching from former Vice President Joe Biden.

“I believe them and I respect them being able to tell their story and having the courage to do it,” Harris said at a presidential campaign event in Nevada.

{mosads}The California senator added that Biden will need to decide for himself whether to run for president.

“He’s going to have to make that decision for himself. I wouldn’t tell him what to do,” Harris said.

In recent days, several women have come forward to allege that Biden has touched them inappropriately.

Former Nevada state lawmaker Lucy Flores, a Democrat, made the first accusation last week in an essay in New York magazine’s The Cut. On Monday, Amy Lappos told the Hartford Courant that Biden also touched her inappropriately at a 2009 fundraiser in Connecticut. 

Two additional women, Caitlyn Caruso and D. J. Hill, came forward Tuesday, sharing their experiences with The New York Times.

Biden, who is considering running for president and has led a number of polls of Democrats, has not commented publicly on the accusations since Sunday, when in response to Flores’s allegation he said in a statement that he has “offered countless handshakes, hugs, expressions of affection, support and comfort.”

“And not once — never — did I believe I acted inappropriately,” Biden added. “If it is suggested I did so, I will listen respectfully.”