One of Herman Cain’s accusers has submitted a statement to the National Restaurant Association (NRA), where she alleges the candidate sexually harassed her in the late nineties. Though she had originally planned to speak out publicly, the written statement could also spell trouble for the Cain campaign. The three women at the NRA raising complaints are currently bound by confidentiality agreements, signed when they left the organization and received five-figure settlements. But Andrew Cohen at The Atlantic says there are legally defensible ways the women could speak out.
Even worse for Cain & Co., Alan Dershowitz says it’s the candidate himself who’s breaking his own confidentiality agreement. And Alan Dershowitz knows a lot about confidentiality — and, well, everything.
The accuser’s statement is now safely nestled in the bosom of the NRA, but given her lawyer Joel Bennett’s public announcements, most are assuming that the document directly contradicts Cain’s account. Bennett told CNN that Cain’s story is “certainly not true.” He has also asked the NRA to lift his client’s confidentiality agreement, which the organization is considering. Cain says he doesn’t remember much about the woman beyond “casually running into her, like I would run into everybody.” But an acquaintance of hers told Politico, “She is a pretty confident individual, and she was pretty upset” after Cain allegedly invited her to a hotel room.
The NRA will announce on Friday whether or not it plans to release the accuser’s statement to the public.
Cain accuser offers statement [Union Leader]
TheDC exclusive interview with Herman Cain: ‘Guilty until proven innocent’ [Daily Caller]
Herman Cain’s chief of staff walks back accusations [Hill]
Herman Cain May be Breaking Confidentiality Agreement, Say Experts [ABC]
How Cain’s Accuser Could Break Her Confidentiality Agreement [Atlantic]
Herman Cain allegation: sources reveal new details [Politico]
