Former Biden Aide Scolds Lucy Flores For Coming Forward 5 Years Later: ‘It’s Politicized Now’

Claire DeMatteis, former senior counsel to then-Senator and current former Vice President Joe Biden, defended the potential Democratic candidate over the recent allegations of inappropriate touching from former Nevada lawmaker Lucy Flores.

On Monday morning’s edition of MSNBC Live With Hallie Jackson, host Hallie Jackson interviewed DeMatteis just seconds after an appearance by Flores. Jackson began by asking if Biden “or someone from his team should reach out to” Flores.

“I think his response has been adequate,” DeMatteis said. “He said he did not think he did anything inappropriate. He certainly did not intend to make her feel uncomfortable and he said he’s listening and listening very respectfully. I don’t think it’s necessary to reach out to her.”

She added that it is Flores who has “made this a very public coming out,” and called Flores’ story “an allegation that is five years old, and that cannot negate or change or diminish in any way Joe Biden’s very strong record empowering women.”

Jackson asked DeMatteis if she would feel differently if the incident Flores described had taken place in a business setting, asking “Would that not be grounds for a complaint?”

DeMatteis responded that she teaches about this subject at the University of Delaware, and that “It’s about having that conversation.

“There was a way for her to talk about this closer to the event, rather than five years later in the middle of a political campaign coming forward,” she added “So, it’s politicized now. There was a way to handle this one-on-one at the time, to clear the air, and that didn’t happen, unfortunately.”

Jackson concluded by asking DeMatteis if she still thinks Biden should run for president.

“Absolutely,” DeMatteis replied.

Watch the clip above, via MSNBC.