Thread by @AndrewFeinberg

(Thread) Reading over Tara Reade’s interview with Katie Harper, a few things in her account jump out as sounding strange to me, speaking as someone who has spent many many hours in the Capitol complex.

Here are some quick thoughts and notes. 1/

First, she says she was told to meet then-Senator Biden with his gym bag in the basement as he returned from the Capitol (the “subway” comes into Russell in basement). Why is this strange? The Senate gym is on the 1st floor of Russell, Biden’s office was on the 2nd in room 221 2/

This begs the obvious question of why would a scheduler for a gym-bound Senator with an office on the second floor of Russell have a staffer bring him his gym bag in the basement rather than have the staffer meet him on near the gym on the first floor. 2A/

But let’s move on, shall we? Reade says she saw Biden “at a distance” in the Russell basement, presumably after she came off the stairs or elevator.

Now, today you certainly could see a person exiting the subway from a distance, as the basement rotunda is wide open...3/

...as shown in this photo by @alanhe.

It’s a wide open area that is the endpoint of two well-trafficked hallways that connect from the ground level entrances used by visitors & staff.

But it’s not nearly as likely that she could see Biden from a distance there in 1993. 4/

Why is that? Because the basement wasn’t a large empty space in 1993.

In 1992, the Architect of the Capitol had placed the plaster model of the statue that sits on top of the Capitol dome in that space, leaving an obstructed view from elevators

Here’s what it looked like. 5/

Reade describes the alleged assault as taking place in “the side area.”

It’s unclear what she means by this, because the Russell basement area off the subway terminal is (as I’ve explained) a large round room. The subway terminal area has a section that could be described...6/

...that way, but if that’s the area where she alleges the assault took place that doesn’t make much sense because the area that’s out of view from the basement rotunda shares a wall with a Capitol Police post. It’s also a very highly trafficked area because of the subway. 7/

Reade tells Halper that after the alleged assault she found herself in Russell, near “big windows...and stairs.”

This is a basic description of the elevator lobby that is closest to the subway. 8/

You get there by walking straight across through the basement rotunda from the subway area (or going around the statue mold that was there in 93).

But you also have to walk past that Capitol Police post, and it seems unlikely that a USCP officer would not have noticed her. 9/

By this point, Reade has canceled her Fox interview and more questions are emerging about her claim to have filed a report of what happened with the Senate.

If she ever sits for an interview, perhaps it would help to ask about this stuff as well. 10/10

POSTSCRIPT: One other thing that doesn’t make sense re Reade’s story?

Her decision to file a police report with @DCPoliceDept rather than the US @CapitolPolice.

Why? An ex-Senate staffer would know that USCP—not MPD—investigates crimes committed within the Capitol complex.