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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It would be interesting to see if the allegations Kraushaar made in the late 1990s were similar to Bialek's claims. I tend to believe them both.
For all of you who are asking why she waited so long to go public, sit back and take a look at how quick everyone is to blame the victim. Herman Cain and many others are pointing fingers at these women as the villians. It takes alot of guts to put yourself out there in that position. This is the same way that many rape, incest and domestic violence victims are treated and it's very sad. What would you do if the victim was you, your wife, your daughter?
Herman Cain was the first to break the confidentiality agreement when he publicly called these women liars and began to deny, deny, deny!
Even without these alleged accusations,I can't believe that anybody took this man's candidacy seriously. The biggest asset Obama has going into the 2012 election cycle is the circus that is the GOP. I can't help but to laugh out loud whenever this loser line-up is featured in one of their always comical debates. John Huntsman is probably the most intelligent of the lot but certainly wouldn't appeal to the lunatic fringe that seems to control the helm of the Republican Party.
Rick McDaniel...DC is a small town. Things like that are bound to happen. That does not make the allegations any less true.
And actually...these ladies have GOP connections, not Dem.
"Question: why did she not come out in 2004 when he ran for congress? Was there to little publicity?"
A. Because none of the media outlets had "outed" her name the way one of them did this time.
B. Because, like this time, she wanted to keep silent and not make a big thing about it.
C. Because of "A," she now needs to defend herself from the accusations from the Cain camp that it's all untrue and the personal attacks coming her way that are intended to discredit her.
D. Because the media won't leave her alone right now, but wasn't bugging her like this in 2004.
So how many is this 4-5 women who he's sexually harassed? That we know of?
Who cares. Move on.
I only know what the press tells me. I know that 2 women say something happened, it's reported that two other women had incidents with Cain, and Cain says it didn't happen. And all of these incidents happened within a short time period while Cain was the CEO of the NRA. I also know that sexual deviance doesn't turn on or off over night. Can someone fill in the 25 years of history before Cain's stint at the NRA and of the 12 years since then. If he was a deviant during this relatively short period of his life, there WILL be others before and after this period. If you can't find any more, I would greatly challenge the accusations.
They are not ALLEGATIONS – they are a FACT. Proven by the $46K settlement she received. Please stop calling her statements on Cain allegations.
Just because one is accused of sexual harassment does not mean they did it. I have a problem with these women waiting 15 years to bring this to the public. He was the President of the National Restuarant Association at the time.
It would have gained national attention then. I want to see the documents before I make a decision. Gloria Allred is noting but an ambulance chaser. She always comes out of the woodwork during cases like this.
I have no idea if the charges against Herman Cain are true or not, but one thing is certain, the Democrat Demean and Destroy teams are at work. Herman is just getting too much camera time to suit them, so Romney gets a temporary rest.
For those of you who believe everything on FOX, the gentleman said to be her son is, in fact, not her son nor related in anyway. He simply has the same last name and worked at Politico in the past but no longer works there.
Bob, the son at Politico lie has been thoroughly debunked. He is no relation, and he hasn't worked at Politico for over a year. Sorry dude, no matter how many times you repeat the lies that your reichwing handlers supply, they will never be true.
Rick McDaniel wrote: "We are still waiting some kind of real evidence. Until then, we are not convinced, since there are far too many Democratic Party connections to these allegations."
Who is "we"? You and the frog in your pocket?
Bob
CNN did not include in their report that her son works at Politico and she was promoted to her current position by the Obama Administration.
You realize that the president would probably LOVE to run against Herman Cain, right? Why would he try to tear down the weakest of the Republican front runners? If anything, he's trying to destroy Romney, who at this point is the only credible obstacle to his re-election.
To all the tea folks out there who are supporting Cain because you think the women are in it for the money... I hear that there is a former defensive coordinator at Penn State who you may want support as well.
Just because one is accused of sexual harassment does not mean they did it. I
------
Next stop for you.. Penn State. Good luck with that.
Paqrat137
The investigation by the NRA proved to be BASELESS. Secondly her son works for Politico. She is a serial liar and complainer. See all her previous complaint throughout her career. She got no where with her previous ones now she is try to hit the biig pay day. No one outed her. She came out on her own. Stop with the lies people!!!
I like how CNN buries a very important fact in the last paragraph – this woman filed ANOTHER complaint at her next employer. She wanted to work from home & was denied, which she felt was discrimantory. She also complained about a "sexually suggestive" email that was circulated by her manager. Ah, if Cain is a serial harrasser, this chick is a serial complainer. Seems to me like she is an uptight woman looking to complain about something at each job she holds.
There are so many good reasons for Cain to be dismissed. His 9-9-9 plan piles on to the poor and middle class who spend most of their income on necessities, while those earning investment income (their money works while they don't have to) and Capital gains are exempt from any tax at all! That's the biggest reason of all to send him packing, not these he said, she said media events.
Of course he's a denier. Hermie don't play dat!
Hey – Bob, you wrote:
"CNN did not include in their report that her son works at Politico and she was promoted to her current position by the Obama Administration." Fact is she is not related to the guy. Secondly she is a registered Republican, translation – they promoted the most qualified not a democrat.
She is cute.. Looks like Cain has a weak spot for blonde white women.
I dont know if i like more this or the smoking add. I have to say the sharky smile is apprropriate to that story.
Funny how so many defend this guy when they would have hanged Clinton for something that was consentual...
Personally, I wish Cain will be the nominee, this way the elections will end early.
All the Bimbos come out of their caves for their 15 minutes of fame, what a bunch of clowns.