A second woman has accused former Vice President Joe Biden of inappropriate touching.
Amy Lappos, a former aide for Rep. Jim Himes (D-Conn.), told the Hartford Courant on Monday that Biden grabbed her at a political event in 2009. "It wasn't sexual, but he did grab me by the head," she said. "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."
Lappos made her accusation after former Nevada Assemblywoman Lucy Flores said on Friday that Biden touched her and kissed her on the back of the head without permission at an event in 2014. Lappos, the Hartford Courant reports, subsequently shared her allegation on Facebook, writing, "I can speak from experience when I say it's an incredibly uncomfortable situation and not at all acceptable."
Lappos said that "there's a line of respect" and that crossing it is "not grandfatherly" but is "sexism or misogyny." She also said that if Biden "truly supports women and gender equality he would step aside and support one of the many talented and qualified women running."
Biden, who has not yet officially entered the 2020 race, did not comment on the new allegation, but he said in a statement on Sunday that "not once — never — did I believe I acted inappropriately." After the initial allegation from Flores, some Democrats like Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) had come to Biden's defense by saying that "one allegation is not disqualifying."