Herman Cain accuser requests permission to address harassment reports
One of the women who accused Herman Cain of sexual harassment in the 1990's will ask for clearance to respond to reports about the matter, CBS News political correspondent Jan Crawford reports.
Joel Bennett, an attorney for the woman, said his client will today ask the National Restaurant Association (NRA) for permission to address the reports without violating the confidentiality agreement she signed.
The woman signed the confidentiality agreement as part of a settlement she reached with the NRA after she filed a complaint about Cain's behavior during his tenure as the restaurant lobbying group's chief executive. Two women filed complaints against Cain while he led the NRA, and a third unidentified woman now reportedly says she considered filing a complaint.
On Tuesday, Bennett told CBS News that the NRA "ought to waive the confidentiality and non-disparagement provisions and let the two women, if they choose to do so, come forward and tell their stories so that it can get a complete public airing."
Though Bennett's client would like more freedom to respond, she may not say much, since Cain's accusers have been reportedly reluctant to enter the media spotlight.
A lawyer for one of the women told The New York Times she will not be revealing her identity, for fear of becoming "another Anita Hill," in reference to the woman who accused Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas of sexual harassment in the 1990s.
Cain, for his part, has called the accusations baseless and has relied on conservative allies like talk radio and the Tea Party to help tell his side of the story.
