Cain’s latest accuser is Ginger White, a 46-year-old divorced woman who told her story in an exclusive interview with Fox 5 Atlanta. She asserted that she and Cain began their affair in the 1990s and that the physical relationship ended just before he declared his candidacy in May. She later repeated the story to other news outlets.
CNN reports,
She said their on-again, off-again relationship allegedly began in Louisville, Kentucky, in the late 1990s, when Cain gave a National Restaurant Association presentation to a group which included White. Afterward, the two shared drinks and Cain invited her back to his hotel room, where he pulled out a calendar and invited her to meet him in Palm Springs, California, she said.
"I was aware that he was married, and I was also aware that I was involved in a very inappropriate situation — relationship," Ginger White told Atlanta television station WAGA.
According to White, the relationship ended approximately eight months ago as Cain was gearing up to announce his presidential bid, but phone records reveal that Cain remained in contact with White and called her as late as September — at 4:26 a.m. WAGA attempted to confirm the phone records by sending a text message to the number White identified as Cain’s. Cain called back and did acknowledge that he knew White, but claimed he had been trying to help her financially.
White was also able to produce copies of two of Cain’s books that included personal inscriptions.
When asked if the relationship was sexual, White responded, “Absolutely.”
Cain denied the allegations even befoe the interview was aired, contending that his relationship with White was nothing more than a friendship. White told news reporters, “I can’t imagine him confirming [the relationship]. It’s the name of the game, I guess.”
Once Cain learned that White coming forward with the allegations, he appeared on CNN’s The Situation Room and warned about that new accusations were coming:
It is someone that I know who is an acquaintance that I thought was a friend. I did not have an affair, and until I see and hear exactly what accusations are going to be made, let’s move on. I acknowledge that I knew the woman. I acknowledge that I have known her for about that period of time. But the accusation that I had a 13-year affair with her, no.
Cain also revealed that his wife voiced frustration upon hearing the newest allegation, declaring, “Here we go again.”
When asked if he intends to drop out of the race, Cain responded, “Not as long as my wife is behind me and as long as my wife believes I should stay in this race.” He added, “The thing I’m worried about is the impact it’s going to have on my wife and my family. They should not be subjected to false accusations.”
Cain later released a written statement that reads:
I will not fight false claims as it is not what America needs or wants.
The American public is tired of dirty politics and smear tactics as evident of their tremendous outpouring of support for me, my family and my campaign this past month.
I am running for president of the United States of America, and the reality is that there are individuals out there that favor the status quo of higher taxes, more government and political cronyism and they are afraid of a Cain presidency.
Several weeks ago, Cain was forced to contend with allegations of sexual harassment levied by two former employees of the National Restaurant Association, as well as others outside of the NRA. White, however, is not accusing Cain of sexual harassment. She said that Cain never mistreated her, and that she was never harassed by him.
White indicated that she was fearful about coming forward with her story because of the way Cain’s other accusers were “demonized” by the public. "It bothered me that they were being demonized, sort of, or were being treated as if they were automatically lying and the burden of proof is on them," White said. Having learned that a source close to White had tipped off the media regarding White’s affair with Cain, White explained, "I wanted to come out and give my side before it was thrown out there and made to be something, you know, filthy, which some people will look at this and say, that's exactly what it is.”
She also commented that Cain is “very much confident, and very much sure of himself, very arrogant — in a playful, sometimes, way.”
White asserted that Cain romanced her, taking her to luxury hotels and flying her to cities with him when he traveled for speaking engagements. "He made it very intriguing," she said in the interview. "It was fun. It was something that took me away from my sort of humdrum life at the time, and it was exciting."
Cain’s attorney Lin Wood also released a statement to WAGA, arguing that reporters should not be pursuing White’s story:
This is not an accusation of harassment in the workplace — this is not an accusation of an assault — which are subject matters of legitimate inquiry to a political candidate. Rather, this appears to be an accusation of private, alleged consensual conduct between adults — a subject matter which is not a proper subject of inquiry by the media or the public.
No individual, whether a private citizen, a candidate for public office or a public official, should be questioned about his or her private sexual life. The public's right to know and the media's right to report has boundaries and most certainly those boundaries end outside of one's bedroom door.
Without directly referring to White, Wood contended that Cain “has no obligation to discuss these types of accusations publicly with the media,” adding, “Some things are fair game, and some aren’t. You’ve got to draw the line somewhere.”
White has a rather colorful history, which includes accusations of stalking by a former business partner who claimed White repeatedly sent her emails and texts, though that case was dismissed. White also filed a 2001 charge of sexual harassment against an employer that was settled. She lost a libel suit filed against her by a business partner, though she asserts that she was unaware of the lawsuit and never defended herself in the case. White’s history reveals financial troubles, as she was forced to file bankruptcy 23 years ago in Kentucky, and has been evicted several times over the past six years.
Still, White’s attorney, Edward Buckley, contends she has no financial motivation in this case. "To tell you candidly, I don't know if she is employed or not, because she was kind of on the ropes because of all this stuff," he said. "The media called her employer before this story came out, and it made it very difficult for her in the workplace."
Prominent high-profile attorney Gloria Allred — who represents one of Cain’s sexual-harassment accusers — weighed in, asserting that White’s financial troubles amount to “zero, zip, nada.” She declared on CNN's Piers Morgan Tonight show, "There are millions of women in this country and millions of men as well having financial problems. The fact that she's had them in the past does not bear on whether or not she's credible on this issue."
Photo of Herman Cain: AP Images
