PHILADELPHIA (AP) – State prosecutors in California are investigating the credentials that Tara Reade, the former Senate staffer who has accused Joe Biden of assaulting her in 1993, attested to in as many as 20 criminal trials, including an attempted murder case where her testimony was deemed “critical.”
The Monterey County District Attorney’s office said it never tried to verify the credentials on her resume before using her as a paid expert witness on domestic violence issues. Reade, who went by Alexandra Tara McCabe, made several claims on her resume and in court that have now come into question.
Reade said she had a bachelor’s degree from Antioch University, which the school denies. She said she worked in Biden’s office from 1991 to 1994, while Senate records show her there from December 1992 to August 1993. And she said she served as legislative aide for Biden while he worked on the Violence Against Women Act, while witnesses and records describe her holding a more junior role, sometimes supervising interns or handling mail.
“We are investigating whether Ms. McCabe gave false testimony under oath,” Chief Assistant District Attorney Berkley Brannon of Monterey County said Wednesday.
“At the time, we did not contact the schools she said she attended to see if they would disclose her records. We did not require that she provide proof of all the extensive professional training and experience listed on her CV (curriculum vitae),” Brannon told The Associated Press in an email.