Sharon Bialek of Chicago became the first woman to publicly accuse Republican presidential candidate Herman Cain of sexual misconduct, saying on Monday that it occurred while he was the National Restaurant Association president during the late 1990s.
So far, the burgeoning scandal surrounding
accusations of sexual harassment has not eroded Cain’s support, but that
could change, according to a USA TODAY/Gallup Poll released Monday. A
majority of Republicans and Republican-leaning independents say they
wouldn’t vote for a candidate proved to have sexually harassed
employees, a warning sign for Cain as Bialek became the first accuser to
put her name and account on the record. If accusations were proved, 53%
say they definitely would not vote for that candidate; 42% say they
would consider supporting him or her.
Even
before Bialek had finished speaking, the Cain campaign issued a
statement denying any wrongdoing by the candidate, calling the
allegations “completely false” and “bogus attacks.”
The
allegations of sexual harassment against Cain first surfaced on Oct. 30
in a report by the political news website and newspaper Politico.
It reported that two former restaurant association employees had
accused Cain of sexual harassment and had been paid settlements to leave
and remain quiet about their departures. A third woman surfaced after
the initial article with a similar complaint, the Associated Press
reported. All three have remained anonymous.
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Source: Jackie Kucinich and Catalina Camia, USA TODAY
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