VIDEO: Sharon Bialek the 4th woman to accuse Herman Cain of sexual harassment

The Takeaway

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Sharon Bialek, a former employee at the National Restaurant Association, became the fourth woman to say Republican Presidential candidate Herman Cain sexually harassed her.

But, with Bialek, there are a couple of key differences. First, she’s the only woman so far to put herself out there publicly as the woman making the accusations. Second, Bialek did not notify the restaurant association, nor did she receive any sort of settlement payment.

“I’m coming forward to give a face and a voice to those woman who cannot or for whatever reasons do not wish to come forward,” Bialek said in her public appearance on Monday.

Cain’s campaign denied Bialek’s allegations and said he would offer a defense later Tuesday.

Story continues beneath video.



Bialek’s allegations, though, do leave room for criticism. First, she freely admits she was terminated by the National Restaurant Association before the harassment. In fact, she said it was because she was let go that there was an opportunity for her to talk to Cain. She had asked him for help with a job when he, she said, offered to help her in exchange for sexual favors.

“Activist celebrity lawyer Gloria Allred is bringing forth more false accusations against the character of Republican front-runner Herman Cain,” the Cain campaign said.

Bialek retained Allred to represent her interests in this matter.

Ron Christie, a Republican political strategist, said that if Cain doesn’t explain this, his campaign risks being overwhelemed by this political theatre.

“Any time you have a sexual assault allegation, it should be taken seriously. At the same time, this woman who has kept these allegations under wraps for 14 years, one could question the veracity of why waiting this amount of time to come forward. Practically and politically speaking, Herman Cain has an obligation to come clean. He has said repeatedly all these allegations are false but he needs to explain why,” he said.

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“The Takeaway” is a national morning news program, delivering the news and analysis you need to catch up, start your day, and prepare for what’s ahead. The show is a co-production of WNYC and PRI, in editorial collaboration with the BBC, The New York Times Radio, and WGBH.

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