Joe Biden accused of inappropriate behavior by former Nevada assemblywoman

A former Nevada assemblywoman alleges former Vice President Joe Biden inappropriately touched her and kissed the top of her head during a campaign appearance in Las Vegas in 2014.

The allegation was made in a New York magazine article written by Lucy Flores, the 2014 Democratic nominee for Nevada lieutenant governor.

In her article published Friday, Flores described an encounter that she said occurred as she and Biden were waiting to take the stage during a rally before the 2014 election.

“I felt two hands on my shoulders. I froze. ‘Why is the vice president of the United States touching me?’” Flores wrote. “He proceeded to plant a big slow kiss on the back of my head.”

This was an incredibly difficult thing to do, but something that felt necessary. It took awhile before I found the words and the support that made me feel like this was finally a story I could tell. https://t.co/Sr5Go3xuTe

— Lucy Flores (@LucyFlores) March 29, 2019

Flores said Biden’s behavior “made me feel uneasy, gross, and confused,” adding, “Even if his behavior wasn’t violent or sexual, it was demeaning and disrespectful.”

Biden spokesman Bill Russo said in a statement Friday, “Neither then, nor in the years since, did he or the staff with him at the time have an inkling that Ms. Flores had been at any time uncomfortable, nor do they recall what she describes.”

Russo said Biden “believes Ms. Flores has every right to share her own recollection and reflections, and that it’s a change for the better in our society that she has the opportunity to do so.”

Attempts to reach Flores for comment on Friday were unsuccessful.

Flores’ claim comes as Biden, the early leader in national Democratic presidential polls, is in the final stages of deciding whether to seek the 2020 nomination. The former vice president has been working to put together a political team in early-voting states.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.