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Herman Cain Accused Of Sexual Misconduct By Third Woman

Jerry Ting |
November 2, 2011 | 3:52 p.m. PDT

Staff Reporter

Presidential candidate Herman Cain is under allegations for sexual harrasment.
Presidential candidate Herman Cain is under allegations for sexual harrasment.
A third woman accused Herman Cain of sexual harrassment Wednesday, three days after POLITICO reported that the GOP presidential candidate harrassed two female employees while head of the National Restaurant Association (NRA).

The most recent accuser, who spoke on terms of anonymity with the Associated Press, said Cain invited her to his apartment and commented on her physical appearance while she was working for Cain in the 1990s. 

His actions "were inappropriate, and it made me feel uncomfortable," she told the AP.

She said that Cain was harassing her during the same time that the two other accusers were working for the NRA. She considered filing a complaint, but she hesitated because one of the other two accusers had already filed a formal complaint.

All three women currently remain unidentified.

One accuser received $35,000 – a year’s salary – as a part of a settlement with the NRA that included a nondisclosure agreement. Under the terms of the contract, she is not allowed to discuss the details of the accusations, although her lawyer is asking for the association to revoke the contract.

"[The NRA] ought to waive the confidentiality and non-disparagement provisions and let the two women, if they choose to do so, come forward and tell their stories so that it can get a complete public airing," said Joel Bennett, the lawyer of an accuser held under the nondisclosure agreement.

As details of the sexual allegations continue to emerge, political strategists are unsure how the accusations will impact Cain's campaign.

Chris Wilson, a pollster for the NRA at the time of the accusations, believes that the harassment charges may be the end of Cain’s presidential candidacy.

"...I was around a couple of times when this happened and anyone who was involved with the NRA at the time, knew that this was gonna come up," he said to Oklahoma radio station KTOK. "If she talks about it, I think it'll be the end of his campaign."

Wilson also described the most recent accuser as a low-level staffer and a woman who just recently graduated from college.

Cain has changed his defense numerous times since POLITICO broke the story Sunday. At first, Cain denied the allegations, stating that he was “falsely accused” of sexual harassment and that he did not know of any settlements.

He would later acknowledged there was payment to one of his accusers.

Cain has refused to respond to the most recent accusations. At multiple campaign stops this week, Cain avoided reporters, according to the Wall Street Journal. At a medical gathering in North Virginia earlier Wednesday, the candidate told reporters to not ask him about the allegations.

“So don’t even bother asking me all these other questions that you all are curious about,” he said.

Cain spokesman J.D. Gordon dismissed the AP report in a statement.

"Mr. Cain has said over the past two days at public events that we could see other baseless allegations made against him as this appalling smear campaign continues," Gordon said. "He has never acted in the way alleged by inside-the-beltway media, and his distinguished record over 40 years spent climbing the corporate ladder speaks for itself."

On the other end of the accusations, Bennett said he and his client are in talks regarding whether or not to go public with her story.

"I will meet with my client tonight and we will have some information for you tomorrow," Bennett said.

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