Karen Kraushaar calls Herman Cain 'a serial denier'
Washington (CNN) - Karen Kraushaar, who went public earlier Tuesday confirming she was one of the women who previously filed a sexual harassment claim against Herman Cain, told CNN she is considering releasing the details of her allegations against Cain.
"I have kept all of the copies of my allegations," she said. "So I believe that could happen."
In her first interview since Cain's Tuesday news conference - in which he vehemently denied ever sexually harassing anyone - Kraushaar refused to comment specifically on Cain's defense. But she did say that if the female accusers get together to air their charges publicly, she expected he would still deny them.
"He's a serial denier," she said. "He will deny if it is four or 40 women."
Even so, Kraushaar told CNN she would like to organize a joint press conference some time in the near future with some of the other women who have alleged sexual harassment against Cain.
"There is safety in numbers," she said. "It is important that it happen in one conference."
Kraushaar's attorney, Joel Bennett, told CNN that Gloria Allred and her client, Sharon Bialek, have agreed to participate.
Kraushaar added that "it's so uncomfortable for people to say what happened" - as Bialek did earlier this week with her public allegations - that "with the redaction of certain names," documents might be the least painful way for the women to tell their stories.
Saying it's "no longer a private matter" she called the alleged sexual harassment by Cain "a personally embarrassing matter."
She made the case that, as a civil servant now working for the Treasury Department, she is a "federal career employee and I can't enter into electioneering." But, she added, 'sexual harassment is not a Democratic problem or a Republican problem. It's an American problem."
Kraushaar told CNN she entered into a $46,000 sexual harassment settlement with the National Restaurant Association in 1999 and said she was aware of the other settlement the association previously reached with a different employee.
"I lived by the strictures of the confidentiality agreement for 12 years," she told CNN. But when approached by Politico, she felt like she couldn't deny the story. The site "had two names," she said. "At that point, if I deny, I'm lying."
Kraushaar knows something about the media. She currently serves as the spokesman for a bureau within the Treasury Department.
She also indicated that Cain's story about her - in which he says that he gesturing that her she is the same height as his wife - has nothing to do with her harassment allegations
"A comment like that is so innocuous it wasn't even a part of my complaint," she said, allowing that it sounds "vaguely familiar." Without disclosing details, she said that there was "an incident in my office that was part of my complaint" that was the "inappropriate behavior."
Trying to pre-empt criticism, she also confirmed that she had filed one complaint while working at another federal agency about not being able to telecommute after a car accident while a colleague was able to do so - and she felt it was unfair. She says she was always an employee in good standing.
–CNN Senior Producer Kevin Bohn contributed to this story.
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Mr. Cain's got himself in a real pickle ... deny and let the facts come out - or deny and don't let the facts come out. Either way, it's not going to get any better for him. Certainly not if he continues talking like the (Republican) National Restaurant Association power hungry CEO lobbyist he was and the finger pointing extraordinaire his latest news conference proves him now to be. Neither trait is admirable in a future presidential candidate.
Wow! Absolutely wow! Not until the last paragraph is there a hint - and then only a hint - of the fact that this woman makes stuff up!
As reported on the site of that other news agency CNN loves to bash, this woman filed a complaint at her next job claiming an email that circulated was offensive (it compared women to computers and said they store every little thing in long term memory). She also said they unfairly refused to let her work from home after she had a car accident. (They had also denied her request to work from home before the car accident!) She wanted thousands of dollars, a reinstatement of leave she had taken earlier, a pay level increase, and a one year fellowship to Harvard!!!) Apparently she didn't get it. It seems her complaint against Cain resulted in such an easy payday she thought she'd give it another shot.
Yeah, she's the victim. Pfft.
Yeah, this website is reporting all of the facts. Pfffffft.
seem like she has a history of complaining and getting over
Actually, even the level of facts we know (employer/employee relationship, atmosphere, sense that keeping your job was a part of it) are part of the very Employment Law definition of sexual harrassment. Cain can deny all he wants, but cash settlements of one year's salary means there was substance to the complaints.
Cain said in his press conference yesterday that he would submit to a lie detector test. So should each of his accusers.
I wouldn't hire a serial complainer. She is out to get you and your money.
Cain is done. And for good reason, too.
GOD BLESS AMERICA!
Interesting that she kept her notes about Cain but can't remember anything about the complaint she filed with INS in 2002.
c'mon. its obvious he is guilty at this point. if you cant accept that, you are extremely blind to partisanship.
She works for the IRS, and someone has to protect the jobs at the IRS. If a businessman like Cain were elected, their would be massive layoffs in her department. She is also a political donor to the DNC, and her husband has donated thousands of dollars to Democratic candidates and PACs. This is a Hack Job!
Stick a fork in him, he's overdone!
Wow, even if I don't believe Cain is clean. But this women sounds very vicious. She is not hirable.
She was very smart to keep copies. And it's what every employee should do when they believe they are being unfairly treated.
Mr Cain looks like he is in some hot water. Fail.
Hey CNN, where is the reporting on the track record of Cain's accusers regarding how many other complaints they've filed trying to either game the system for money or employment advantage or because they have a problem with men in general. Even MSNBC is starting to report these facts.
Still, no specifics. And remember people, there is a gray area when it goes from joking and tom foolery to sexual harassment. One also has to know the events leading up tot the incident to know if the accuser possibly sent false signals or the signals were misinterpreted.
I need details. Otherwise, this is just gossip and rumors.
"federal career employee and I can't enter into electioneering." And what do you call what you are doing now? The more I hear the facts, the more that I am convinced that this has nothing to do with sexual harassment.
"I have kept all of the copies of my allegations," she said. "So I believe that could happen."
Let me translate that for you ... "It just depends on if the Price is right. I am now selling my story to the highest bidder."
It's almost comical that with a population of almost 400 million people, that the sad sack of Republican candidates is the best that they can come up with. And the one truely worthy candidate, Huntsman, is last in the polls. Its time for Cain and Perry to up on their XL size cowboy hats and ride off into the sunset. Romney is a rehash from last election cycle and still not ready for primetime. So whats left? Not much.
You know, one allegation against Cain, and it is logical to say "this might mean nothing". A big payoff or two for silence from the NRA, that starts to sound troubling. Accusations 4 and 5, time out, Cain has a problem. Oh well, this is what happens when the GOP/TP can't vet their candidates- they get misfits like Cain, lunatics like Bachmann, empty-headed whiners like Palin, morally challenged folks like Gingrich, and flavor-of-the-day candidates like Romney. So who is left?
They can't all be wrong Mr. Cain....
Cain's got a REAL problem.
And she seems like a serial filer. Filed against another company as well for allowing a "sexually charged" email to circulate, except it was a widely circulated letter from the internet. Something she conveniently leaves out.
A serial denier vs. a serial victim. Always the victim.
the national organization of women must be proud. what we have here with this woman is a serial accuser. oddly enough, this woman filed ANOTHER complaint at her next job inorder to EXTORT the federal government to bend to her will and GIVE HER money, more education, work from home priviledges and more. now, she doesnt recall what the circumstances were, claims an email harassed her and i am sure her lawyer knows all but "cannot discuss it". were i herman cain, i would bring a law suit against EVERYONE who has opened their big mouth, lawyers included. i would bet that all these anonymous sources and their lawyers would run for cover.