Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden has responded to sexual assault allegations against him for the first time, breaking his silence after weeks of mounting pressure. It’s the first time the Democratic presidential nominee has spoken publicly about Tara Reade, a former staffer of Joe Biden who says he sexually assaulted her in 1993. In a statement Friday morning, Biden said, “I want to address allegations by a former staffer that I engaged in misconduct 27 years ago. They aren’t true. This never happened.” As we go to air, Biden is being interviewed on MSNBC, where he’s expected to directly address the allegations. Tara Reade first came forward with her allegations in March, saying Biden pushed her up against a wall and digitally penetrated her.

Later in the broadcast, we’ll speak with reporter Rich McHugh, whose new investigation was the first to confirm Tara Reade’s accounts with two people who knew her in the '90s. And in a Democracy Now! broadcast exclusive, we'll talk to one of those women: Lynda LaCasse, Reade’s former neighbor.