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New Cain Accuser Expected To Come Forward Today

Attorney Gloria Allred's office just sent this message to reporters:

"A woman who alleges that she was sexually harassed by Presidential hopeful, Herman Cain, when she sought his help with an employment issue when he was President of the National Restaurant Association will hold a news conference with her Attorney, Gloria Allred on Monday, November 7th, at 1:30 p.m. (e.s.t.) at the Friars Club, 57 East 55th Street New York, NY 10022.

"The woman is not one of the three women who have previously been reported to have alleged sexual harassment by Cain.

"Ms. Allred's client will be the first to give her name and to speak out about details of what she alleges occurred between her and Cain."

As we have said several times since word broke a week ago that two women had accused Cain of sexual harassment when he headed the restaurant association in the late 1990s, the presidential contender says he never harassed anyone. Those two women were given cash settlements by the association. Neither has been identified publicly.

A third woman, according to The Associated Press, has also claimed Cain made sexually suggestive remarks to her. She has not been identified.

Cain's campaign has blamed the media for reporting the story and at one point blamed the presidential campaign of Gov. Rick Perry (R-Texas) for leaking it. The Perry campaign says it did not do that.

Over the weekend, Cain said he wouldn't answer any more questions about the reports.

Allred, as The Associated Press writes, is a "high-profile discrimination attorney." Cain spokesman J.D. Gordon, the wire service adds, "assailed Allred, calling her a major donor to Democrats who typically engages in self-promotion. He said the campaign would have more to say on the allegations later Monday."

A quick search of the Federal Election Commission's database shows that among the Democratic campaigns Allred has given money to in recent years are those of: President Obama, Sen. John Kerry of Massachusetts, senators Barbara Boxer and Dianne Feinstein of California and Rep. Dennis Kucinich of Ohio. According to the records, she has given $10,216 to Democratic campaigns since 1998.

Our colleagues on the It's All Politics blog have been following the story as it has developed.

Update at 12:15 p.m. ET. Lawyer For One Of Original Two Women Says He's Been Contacted By Another:

"Joel Bennett, the lawyer for one of the two women who in 1999 settled their sexual harassment complaints against Cain, says he's been contacted by another woman who claims she also was harassed by the presidential candidate when he headed the National Restaurant Association in the late 1990s," NPR's Liz Halloran reports.

She writes that:

"Bennett said Monday that the woman, who now lives in Chicago, first contacted him last week and that he has now spoken with her twice. At this time, he says, she is not willing to go public with her claims.

"As for how the potential emergence today of a named accuser would affect his client and her quest to remain private, Bennett said: 'It depends on what we see at 1:30.' "

" 'It depends on whether the person really goes public, and how much detail is given,' Bennett said."

Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

Mark Memmott is NPR's supervising senior editor for Standards & Practices. In that role, he's a resource for NPR's journalists – helping them raise the right questions as they do their work and uphold the organization's standards.