Nov 07, 2011

Cain accuser: 'Come clean,' admit harassment

By Catalina Camia, USA TODAY Updated 1m ago

Defense attorney Gloria Allred and her client, Sharon Bialek, are holding a news conference. Bialek says GOP presidential candidate Herman Cain sexually harassed her in the 1990s.

2:05 p.m. ET

"I really didn't want to be here today," Bialek says.

"I want you, Mr. Cain, to come clean. Just admit what you did. Admit you were inappropriate to people...and then move forward."

"Mr. Cain, I implore you," she says, "Make this right. "

2:04 p.m. ET

Herman Cain's campaign just e-mailed us a statement.

Just as the country finally begins to refocus on our crippling $15 trillion national debt and the unacceptably high unemployment rate, now activist celebrity lawyer Gloria Allred is bringing forth more false accusations against the character of Republican front-runner Herman Cain.

All allegations of harassment against Mr. Cain are completely false. Mr. Cain has never harassed anyone. Fortunately the American people will not allow Mr. Cain's bold "9-9-9 Plan", clear foreign policy vision and plans for energy independence to be overshadowed by these bogus attacks.

2:02 p.m. ET

Bialek says she told her boyfriend and "a mentor at the time" that Cain had been inappropriate. She said she was "embarrassed" and didn't go into details.

2:01 p.m. ET

Bialek says Cain offered to help her find a job with one of the state restaurant associations.

"He suddenly reached over and put his hand on my leg, under my skirt and reached for my genitals," she said.

2 p.m. ET

Bialek describes a situation in 1997, where she met him in the bar at the Capital Hilton in Washington, D.C. She said he helped arrange a "palatial suite" at the hotel for her.

"I upgraded you," Bialek says Cain told her.

1:59 p.m. ET

Bialek says she reached out to Cain for help in finding a job at the behest of her boyfriend.

1:58 p.m. ET

Bialek describes how she sat next to Cain at a dinner during a National Restaurant Association conference. At the time she was employed by the NRA's educational foundation.

1:57 p.m. ET

Allred shows statements from a pediatrician and a businessman who were told by Bialek what happened.

1:55 p.m. ET

Allred says Bialek understands she'll face public scrutiny and chose not to sell her story. "I for one am disgusted at Mr. Cain's serial sexual harassment of women," Allred says, adding that the candidate is "actively lying to Americans."

1:54 p.m. ET

Bialek reached out to Cain to find a job, Allred says. Cain instead provided her with "his idea of a stimulus package," Allred says.

1:51 p.m. ET

Allred has introduced her client, Sharon Bialek. The woman is the first to go public with allegations against Cain.

1:49 p.m. ET

Cain and Mitt Romney are tied in the new USA TODAY/Gallup Poll, but a majority of Republicans say they wouldn't vote for a candidate proved to have sexually harassed employees.

USA TODAY's Susan Page has more here.

Updated 1:45 p.m. ET

Another poll shows GOP voters don't care about the allegations against Cain. A majority, or 54%, in the NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll say they're not concerned about the allegations.

Our original post begins here:

Attorney Gloria Allred is holding a news conference today with a woman who claims she was sexually harassed by GOP presidential candidate Herman Cain.

In a news release sent out by Allred, the woman allegedly sought Cain's help on an employment issue when he was head of the National Restaurant Association in the 1990s.

Allred said her client is not one of the three women mentioned in news reports about the scandal, which has roiled Cain's campaign.

Cain has repeatedly said he has been falsely accused of sexual harassment. He said this weekend that he's done talking about the issue and wants his campaign to get back on message.

Allred is noted for representing women in high-profile incidents. The New York Times said in an Allred profile that she is "depending on one's perspective -- a feminist avenging crusader or a deluxe ambulance chaser catching a ride on the latest tabloid scandal."

The news conference, first reported by RadarOnline, is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. ET in New York City.

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