Karen Kraushaar interested in press conference with all Cain accusers

CBS

Karen Kraushaar, one of the women who accused Herman Cain of sexually inappropriate behavior in the 1990s, told CBS News Tuesday she is interested in potentially holding a press conference with all the women who claim Cain harassed them.

Kraushaar, who confirmed to CBS News that she is one of the women to file a complaint against Cain while he worked at the National Restaurant Association (NRA) in the 1990s, declined to elaborate, saying "the whole situation is so volatile right now I just don't want to say anymore."

However, Joel Bennett, Kraushaar's lawyer, said in an email late Tuesday: "My client has decided to hold a joint news conference with as many of the women who complained of sexual harassment by Herman Cain as will participate. Gloria Allred has agreed that her client will participate in such a conference. We will advise all media in advance of the date, time and location of the conference."

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"When you are being sexually harassed in the workplace, you are extremely vulnerable," she told the The New York Times. "You do whatever you can to quickly get yourself into a job someplace safe, and that is what I thought I had achieved when I left."

A 55-year-old federal employee and registered Republican, Kraushaar was named by the Daily Tuesday as one of Cain's accusers. A number of media outlets, including CBS News, had previously withheld Kraushaar's name at her request.

In a press conference Tuesday, Cain continued to deny all of the allegations against him, and said he'd be "willing to do a lie detector test" if necessary to prove his innocence. He specifically called Kraushaar's claims "baseless."

He said that he remembered Kraushaar and described the only incident he said he could recall that she might have complained about.

"I can only recall one thing that I was aware of that was called sexual harassment," Cain said. "One day in my office at the National Restaurant Association, I was standing next to Kraushaar, standing near her like this, 'you're the same height as my wife, because my wife also comes up to my chin,'" Cain recalled, holding his hand up horizontally to his chest.

Cain added that his secretary was "sitting there" and that it "wasn't anything behind closed doors."

"That's the only one I remember," he said. "She did not react at the time."

Kraushaar's attorney said last week that Kraushaar "stands by the complaint that she made" of "inappropriate behaviors and unwanted advances" by Cain, though he did not get into specifics.

Cain reiterated his denial Tuesday that he remembered Sharon Bialek - who on Monday became the first woman to publicly accuse Cain of inappropriate sexual behavior.

"I tried to remember if I recognized her, and I didn't. I tried to remember if I remembered that name, and I didn't," he said.

Prior to the Daily's release of Kraushaar's name, Bennett said Bialek's claims sounded "very similar."

Bennett, who made the comments in a Friday press conference, declined to elaborate on how "similar" the incident Bialek's claim was to that which his client allegedly experienced, but he did say it "corroborates the claim."

"I can say it is corroborating," Bennett told the New York Times of Bialek's claim.

[AskMissA]

Here's the latest from Donna herself!

http://askmissa.com/2011/11/09/donna-donella-states-i-have-never-personally-been-harassed-by-mr-cain/

[mbwisper1]

I wonder how many women Herman Cain Cain can get away with accusing of lying before somebody finally believes there's truth behind their stories. What on Earth would these women have to gain by lying? And as far as why they waiting so long to come forward, it's simple: There's a real danger/rick Cain could be the Republican Presidential nominee, and before his rise in the polls there was no REASON to come forward. Maybe he thinks he'll be able to get away with being another JFK in the White House, bringing his extracurricular sexual affairs in right under Jackie's...or in this case Gloria's...nose. Not so fast, Herman! You're no JFK. You're not even a Bill Clinton. As "bilrobit" said, where there's this much smoke...What does he think is actually going on? Does he think these women had a conference call at some point to get their stories to match up? Anyone stupid enough to believe he didn't actually commit these gross improprieties has no business voting in the first place. And isn't it funny how the Republicans just want the whole matter to go away. They weren't go generous when they spent 7 YEARS investigating Clinton for the same thing. What hypocrits!

[abhgop220]

Why have they all waited sooo long to come out in the public eye?
I know why because he is running for president and that's the only reason..Sounds like a money making scheme to me. This happen all the time. I just wander when the lifetime movie and book deals will start.

[rodt]

You know the GOP is desperate for a candidate when its members are blindly rushing to the defense of a black man -- at the same time they are attempting to prevent blacks from voting in states throughout the nation.

As Ann Coulter so elegantly put it, "Our blacks are better than their blacks." I am not making this up.

[inketolstoy]

Maybe they can get together, get their stories straight, see how much each is getting paid and by whom, and make some real money off this situation.

[felicia40]

OMG! Why this lady of all people. I'm sure Mr. Cain aint that hard up for a woman because she looks like a drunk and a pill popper! Somebody must have had to pay her to be involved in this scandal against Mr. Cain. He is not dropping out of the RACE! KEEP TRYING TO COME UP WITH ALLEGATIONS! IT WANT WORK!

[RobAla]

None of these cases ever went to court to determine guilt or innocence, and in this country someone is innocent until shown to be guilty. It seems like the association determined it would be more expensive to go to court than to just settle with these women. This is basically a "he-said she-said" situation. In the case of Kraushaar, she seems to have a pattern of filing complaints.

[northwoods2]

The ones that made the complaints that were investigated and then were paid off by the restaurant assn. have asked Cain to release them from the silence pledge in the pay-off agreement. Has he done it. NO! guilty as charged. He can talk about it and denigrate them but they can't say anything nor get the documents of the investigation by the restaurant assn. released. What a joke! But par for a republican.

[Nasty_Party_dot_Com]

You are right. Innocent until proven guilty and Herman Cain and his campaign should apologize for blaming Rick Perry, for blaming "the media machine, for blaming it on racism, for making allegations about his accusers and for claiming an accusers's son works in Politico. These are not the actions of an innocent man. He is guilty of telling many lies about this, and as a result he has proven he is unfit to hold office.

[LoadedAndDangerous]

They will all unite. Great idea. Lets get a family photo of these publicity seeking Liberals together. Maybe Obama will be part of the photo. I'm loving it because all the Liberals and Liberal media is doing is putting Cain in the White House and sending ignorant Obama packing. All this mudd slinging is helping Cain so keep it up media because it will backfire. People are getting tired of your treatment of Cain so keep it up, I love it. GO CAIN!!!!!!!!

[bilrobi1]

I beleive one of the women is a registered Republican. Isn't just possible that there's fire if there's this much smoke?

[moveoverr]

Apparently, the National Restaurant Association is handing out a year's salary to employees who file "baseless, nuisance" lawsuits! OK, where do I sign up for one of these?

[baileyccc]

"The Greatest Show on Earth" continues......keep it coming, I just can't wait to read tomorrow headlines. This subject is apparently more important to the failed gop party than the economy. The slaughter will be in November 2012. You have my vote Mr. President.