Updated Oct. 31, 2011, 2:46 p.m. ET: NBC News says it has confirmed that one woman received a settlement from the National Restaurant Association after making sexual harassment allegations. Cain has vehemently denied the allegations.
Earlier:
News One is reporting that GOP candidate Herman Cain is under fire from accusations of sexual harassment during his tenure as the head of the National Restaurant Association in the 1990s. At least two female employees complained to senior officials about inappropriate behavior by Cain. According to reports, the women complained about sexually suggestive behavior by Cain that eventually led them to leave their jobs. Politico reports:
In a series of comments over the past 10 days, Cain and his campaign repeatedly declined to respond directly about whether he ever faced allegations of sexual harassment at the restaurant association. The women, sources told Politico, received five-figure payouts to leave the association and keep their mouths shut.
Ouch. It's no surprise that this information would surface, particularly in light of Cain's rise to the top of the GOP presidential-candidate heap. We're bracing ourselves for the "high-tech" lynching comparisons that these accusations will undoubtedly bring. We find it interesting that while Cain has denounced his critics, he has yet to denounce the incident or the payout. Sometimes silence is golden. In this case, though, not so much.
Read more at News One.
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