WASHINGTON — Karen Kraushaar, a former National Restaurant Association (NRA) employee who complained of sexual harassment by Herman Cain when he was head of the trade association, wants to hold a press conference with Cain’s other alleged victims, her lawyer said Wednesday.
“My client and I believe that it would be helpful to the public in judging this matter to see as many as the women as possible together,” Joel Bennett told reporters outside his Washington, D.C., office.
“We think it would be helpful to the public in judging whether Mr. Cain’s denials have been truthful or not,” he added, saying it was his client’s intention to give specifics on the allegations she lodged against Cain when he served as head of the NRA in the 1990s.
Bennett said a total of five women could appear at the press conference, according to FOX News Channel.
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Kraushaar is one of two former NRA employees who reportedly received settlements from the organization after complaining of sexual harassment by Cain. She released an anonymous statement through Bennett last week saying the presidential candidate was responsible for a “series of inappropriate behaviors and unwanted advances” but that she saw “no value” in revealing specific details.
Kraushaar came forward Tuesday, saying she was considering holding a joint press conference with the other accusers.
Sharon Bialek was the first of Cain’s accusers to step forward, telling reporters Monday that the Republican presidential candidate groped her and attempted to force her to give him oral sex in 1997. Bialek was joined at the press conference by high-profile attorney Gloria Allred.
Bennett said Wednesday that he had contacted Allred, who agreed to participate in the joint press conference. He said he hoped to get a decision from the other women by Thursday.
“We’d like to wrap it up as soon as possible,” he said.
Cain held a press conference Tuesday to reiterate his denial of the allegations, telling reporters, “I have never acted inappropriately with anyone, period.”
Cain rejected Bialek’s claims and repeated his account of what he remembered of Kraushaar’s complaint, saying that when he and the woman were in his office one day, he made a gesture indicating she was the same height as his wife, putting his hand under his chin.
Cain said his general counsel told him at the time that the incident was “the one that she was most upset about.”
But Bennett disputed that account Wednesday, saying, “No rational, well-intentioned person would file a sexual harassment complaint about a comment like that.”