Former Vice President Joe Biden has now been accused of touching another woman, in 2009, without her consent in a way that made her feel uncomfortable.
A Greenwich, Connecticut woman says the alleged incident occurred a fundraiser for Democratic Congressman Jim Himes.
'It wasn't sexual, but he did grab me by the head,' Amy Lappos, 43, told The Hartford Courant. 'He put his hand around my neck and pulled me in to rub noses with me. When he was pulling me in, I thought he was going to kiss me on the mouth.'
The story told by the congressional aide amplified claims by White House adviser Kellyanne Conway and others that 'Creepy Uncle Joe' is disqualified from holding the presidency.
Biden launched an all-out defense of his conduct over the years with women on Monday as mounting allegations of inappropriate contact threatened to end his anticipated White House bid before it began.
Two incidents involving the wife of a former defense secretary and the daughter of a sitting senator are under refreshed scrutiny.
Ash Carter's wife says this photo of Biden touching her shoulder was 'misleading' and that he was helping her get through the nervous occasion
Other allegations against Biden that have emerged were 'photoshopped' and are 'forgeries,' said a spokesman for the potential presidential candidate in a lengthy statement.
A Greenwich Connecticut woman says the alleged incident occurred a fundraiser for Democratic Congressman Jim Himes
'These smears and forgeries have existed in the dark recesses of the internet for a while. And to this day, right wing trolls and others continue to exploit them for their own gain,' Bill Russo claimed.
He argued that real pictures of Biden with women he appears to be touching inappropriately are 'misleading' and have been misconstrued as he fought off damaging allegations to the longtime public servant's reputation.
A former Nevada politician first raised the issue of Biden's intimate gestures toward women when he was in the White House. She said he made her feel uncomfortable when he kissed her on the head and put his hands on her shoulder before she went on stage at a campaign event.
She does not allege that Biden sexually assaulted her. She told CNN on Sunday that she merely wants to bring attention to what she sees as a whitewashing of Biden's contact with women.
Biden apologized to the woman, Lucy Flores, in a statement over the weekend.
His spokesman claimed Monday, as the fallout continued that her references to documented instances of untoward behavior that 'crossed a line between affectionate or supportive behavior and something—however unintentional—more inappropriate or unwelcome' misconstrued the facts.
Russo brought up photos with Stephanie Carter, the wife of former Defense Secretary Ash Carter, and Senator Chris Coons' daughter, in which Biden appeared to be touching the women without their consent.
'Each was ostensibly captured by a photo that some have interpreted in a way that is reflected consistently, and without scrutiny, in the reporting. Ms. Flores herself has cited the Carter photo as an example of the behavior she experienced,' he said.
'Here's the problem: in neither case is the often repeated and recirculated interpretation true. Both Stephanie Carter and Senator Coons have now felt compelled to speak out to put these ugly urban legends to rest.'
Biden leans in to say something to Maggie Coons, next to her father Sen. Chris Coons after Biden administered the Senate oath to Coons in 2015
Carter and Coons have defended Biden in statements on the incidents.
In a Medium post, the former secretary of defense's wife said the still image of Biden's hands on her shoulders while her husband was being sworn in as defense secretary has been taken out of context.
She said in the post that she was taking back the story behind the viral, 2015 photo of Biden putting his hands on her shoulders. Carter said she didn't appreciate the attention she received as a result of the still shot that was 'misleadingly extracted from what was a longer moment between close friends' and the 'snarky' tweets that ensued.
Russo quoted Carter in his long statement on Biden's conduct on Monday afternoon.
'So, one now-fabled photo was, in fact, 'misleadingly extracted' from a consoling 'moment between close friends,' and the other captured a grandfatherly word of praise and offer of support for the daughter of long-time friends of the Biden family,' Russo said.
He said that media reports on the incidents were wrong then, and the photos should not be used by Flores or anyone else trying to establish a pattern of misconduct now.
'In other words, the familiar characterizations of these two photos that have been uncritically perpetuated, turn out to be very false. The Carter and Coons accounts are not 'updates' of old stories: they are corrections of false ones,' he argued.
Biden in a Sunday morning statement offered a blanket defense of the conduct that Flores described and and the 'countless handshakes, hugs, expressions of affection, support and comfort' that he's provided as a friend and public servant over the years.
'And not once - never - did I believe I acted inappropriately,' he said. 'If it is suggested I did so, I will listen respectfully. But it was never my intention.'
He said he may not 'recall these moments the same way' that the women do.
'But we have arrived at an important time when women feel they can and should relate their experiences, and men should pay attention. And I will. I will also remain the strongest advocate I can be for the rights of women,' the former vice president said. 'I will fight to build on the work I've done in my career to end violence against women and ensure women are treated with the equality they deserve.'
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News Photo Biden mounts full-scale defense over 'misleading' photos of him touching women
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