Tara Reade dropped by prominent lawyer following reports that she may have misrepresented her education credentials in court

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Tara Reade dropped by prominent lawyer following reports that she may have misrepresented her education credentials in court
Tara Reade.@megynkelly/Twitter
  • A prominent lawyer announced on Friday that he is no longer representing Tara Reade, a former Senate staffer who accused former Vice President Joe Biden of sexual assault.
  • This comes as Reade faces scrutiny over whether she misled courts about her education credentials for nearly 10 years while she served as an expert witness on domestic violence.
  • The attorney, Douglas Wigdor, hasn't said why he dropped Reade but told The New York Times on Friday that he still believes Reade's allegations against Biden. Wigdor took on Reade's case just two weeks ago.
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A prominent lawyer who began representing Tara Reade, who recently accused former Vice President Joe Biden of sexual assaulting her in 1993, two weeks ago announced on Friday that he is ending his representation of Reade. The announcement follows reports that she misled courts about her education credentials.

Douglas Wigdor, a Republican attorney who's brought several high-profile sexual misconduct lawsuits, has not said why he dropped Reade's case, but told The New York Times on Friday that the decision is "by no means a reflection on whether then-Senator Biden sexually assaulted Ms. Reade." He said he continues to believe Reade's allegations.

"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," Wigdor, who took on Reade's case just two weeks ago, said in a statement. "We have and will continue to represent survivors regardless of their alleged predator's status or politics."

In March, Reade alleged that Biden digitally penetrated her in a Capitol Hill hallway in 1993 and that she was later pressured to quit her job as a staff assistant in his office. Biden vehemently denies her claims.

Wigdor's announcement came as reporting emerged this week revealing that Reade may have misled courts about her education credentials for nearly 10 years, while she served as an expert witness on domestic violence.

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Officials at Antioch University say Reade never graduated from the school, despite her claims that she received a Bachelor's Degree from the university through a "protected program" for victims of domestic violence. A university official told CNN that the "protected program" Reade spoke of never existed.

According to The Times, Reade — then known as Alexandra McCabe — described herself "as an expert in the dynamics of domestic violence who had counseled hundreds of victims" when she testified as a government witness in California for nearly 10 years.

An assistant public defender in the Monterey County public defender's office told The Times that his office is compiling a list of clients whose cases may have been affected by Reade's testimony. If Reade is found to have committed perjury, it could lead to cases being reopened and verdicts being overturned, depending on how crucial Reade's testimony was to the trial.

Sarah Al-Arshani contributed to this report.

Read the original article on Business Insider
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