Cain says he was falsely accused

WASHINGTON – Denying he ever sexually harassed anyone, Republican presidential candidate Herman Cain declared Monday he was falsely accused in the 1990s while he was head of the National Restaurant Association and the allegations are surfacing now as part of a “witch hunt.”

The former pizza company executive was responding to a Politico report that said the trade group gave financial settlements to at least two female employees who had accused him of inappropriate sexual behavior.

But throughout the day, Cain offered conflicting responses as to whether he remembered the specifics of the allegations or the existence of settlements with the women. That raised new questions about the candidate now at or near the top in many polls on the GOP race.

At an appearance at the National Press Club on Monday, Cain said he did not know if the trade association provided any settlements, and he declined to address specifics of the accusations or any resolution.

“I am unaware of any sort of settlement. I hope it wasn’t for much, because I didn’t do anything,” he said.

But in an interview later with Fox News, Cain said he did know about at least one of the settlements. “Yes, there was some sort of settlement or termination,” he said.

During his earlier appearance at the press club, he declared: “There’s nothing else there to dig up. … We have no idea the source of this witch hunt, which is really what it is.”

In an interview with the Associated Press immediately afterward, Cain first said he had some memory of specific allegations – and then said he was not aware of any.

“Some of them,” he responded initially. When pressed, he said: “That was 12 years ago. So no, I don’t remember.”

But in later interviews with PBS NewsHour and with Fox, Cain recalled details from the incident. “Once I referenced this lady’s height and I was standing near her,” he told PBS, and the woman “thought that that was too close for comfort.”

“It was in my office, the door was wide open, and my secretary was sitting right there, and we were standing there and I made the little gesture,” he said.

In the Fox News interview, Cain insisted he knew of only one formal settlement of a sexual harassment claim. He said Politico told him the name of a second woman, but that he could not recall that woman making a formal complaint. He said he had no knowledge of the second woman receiving a settlement from the trade association.

Cain also said he knows of no other women who have made formal complaints. “Is it possible that someone is going to make something up? Yes,” he said. “But is it going to be credible, as in there was an actual sexual harassment case filed? No.”

The trade association declined to comment on the allegations.

“The incidents in question relate to personnel matters that allegedly took place nearly 15 years ago. Consistent with our longstanding policy, we don’t comment on personnel issues relating to current or former employees,” National Restaurant Association spokeswoman Sue Hensley said in a statement.