Cain accuser from a decade ago stands by complaint – The lawyer said it was a settlement of an internal complaint of sexual harassment. It was not a severance agreement.
National Journal reported:
One of the women who accused Herman Cain of sexual harassment during his time as head of the National Restaurant Association stood by her complaint Friday saying she was the victim of “a series of inappropriate behaviors and unwanted advances” by Cain, according to a statement that her lawyer, Joel Bennett, read to reporters Friday afternoon
The woman settled the dispute with the NRA a dozen years ago in exchange for a cash payout and an agreement not to publicly discuss the situation. But after Cain flatly denied the allegations, Bennett came forward on the woman’s behalf asking the NRA to allow the woman to tell her side of the story – a request the organization granted Friday.
Bennett also disputed Cain’s characterization of the settlement as a severance payment.
“This was a settlement of an internal complaint of sexual harassment. It was not a severance agreement,” Bennett said.
Bennett offered no further details about his client’s complaint against Cain but said her complaint against Cain involved several encounters in 1999 and was “very specific” and added: “If he chooses not to remember or not to acknowledge those, that’s his issue.” He said his client filed her complaint in July, 1999 and it was settled the following September. Bennett did not identify his client but said she works for the federal government and has been married for 26 years.
In his most direct rebuttal of Cain’s characterization of the incidents, Bennett said “this was a settlement of an internal complaint of sexual harassment. It was not a severance agreement.”
The unnamed woman was one of two who received financial settlements and left the National Restaurant Association after complaining of being sexually harassed by Cain when he was the CEO from 1996 to 1999. One woman reportedly got $35,000, the other $45,000, and as part of the deals, agreed not to discuss their experiences publicly, according to multiple news accounts.
