More Details On Cain’s Behavior Emerge As Story Keeps Growing

Republican Presidential Candidate Herman Cain
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The Herman Cain sexual harassment story isn’t going away anytime soon. And as more media organizations try to get their piece of the story Politico broke on Sunday, fresh details on the behavior from Cain that led to at least one cash settlement during Cain’s time at the National Restaurant Association are starting to emerge.

Here’s a rundown of the latest:

• Cain confirmed last night that there was one settlement with a woman who complained about his behavior, but the New York Times confirms Politico’s report that there was a second.

[T]he second woman similarly had complained about what she said had been Mr. Cain’s inappropriate conduct toward her. One [Times source] said she had been taken aback by one interaction in particular while they were traveling, but this person declined to give details.

• In the Wall Street Journal, sources reported this incident:

[D]uring an industry-related conference, [Cain] asked a female employee of the association to visit his room. The person said that woman declined Mr. Cain’s suggestion, there was no physical contact and Mr. Cain was not intimidating. A second person, a member of the restaurant association’s board, told the Journal that a special committee of the trade group’s board looked into the woman’s complaint…the investigation resulted in a financial arrangement.

But the Journal found good news for Cain, too. The sources behind the above incident told the paper that “it was unclear whether the agreement was a settlement tied to the woman’s complaint or was a more routine severance payment linked to an employee’s departure.” And a former board member at the National Restaurant Association went on the record to say “he was unaware during Mr. Cain’s three-year tenure at the association of any sexual allegations concerning Mr. Cain” and “also was unaware of any harassment-related settlement going before the executive board, on which he also served.”

• On Newshour Wednesday, Cain said he couldn’t remember if he asked a woman up to his room as detailed in the Journal. Here’s the transcript of that, and the video of the entire interview:

JUDY WOODRUFF: And there was some mention of a hotel room at a convention or at a meeting. Did any one of these women, were they ever asked to meet you, or….

HERMAN CAIN: That I absolutely do not recall. You know, I have no recollection of that.

JUDY WOODRUFF: Was there any behavior on your part that you think might have been inappropriate?

HERMAN CAIN: In my opinion, no. But as you would imagine, it’s in the eye of the person who thinks that maybe I crossed the line.

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