(Image: Houston Chronicle)
BY BLAKE HANSON
Details continue to emerge over GOP candidate Herman Cain’s sexual assault allegations. Now, Cain says fellow GOP candidate Rick Perry is to blame. Fox News spoke with Cain’s Chief of Staff Mark Block...
“The actions of the Perry campaign are despicable, Rick Perry and his campaign owe Herman Cain and his family apology. Both the Perry campaign and Politico did the wrong thing by reporting something that wasn’t true.”
And it’s not just Cain’s chief of staff making the suggestion -- the candidate himself -- in an interview with Forbes -- blames a consulting firm working on Perry’s campaign. Here’s how he alleges the connection: a man named Curt Anderson worked for Cain when he ran for Senate in 2004. Anderson is now a partner at OnMessage -- that’s the consulting firm Perry’s camp just hired.
“In the summer of 2003, Cain recalls briefing Anderson—his general campaign consultant at the time—that sexual harassment claims were brought against him while he was chairman of the National Restaurant Association from 1996 to 1999.”
Anderson himself though, told Forbes he had nothing to do with the leak. Still, Perry wasn’t the first target Cain’s camp wagged the finger at. In fact, he wasn’t even the second. NBC’s political team looked back at the timeline and offers this analysis.
“Herman Cain started out blaming his accusers and the news media for the story alleging inappropriate behavior with at least two female employees … He then turned to Democrats and liberals ... now Cain and his campaign are blaming Team Perry for leaking the story.”
Politico broke the story, but still hasn’t revealed how it discovered the allegations. CNN’s Anderson Cooper pressed Politico’s Editor-in-Chief -- but without much luck.
COOPER: “So you won’t say whether or not another campaign, rival to Cain or on the other side of the political isle director you to these allegations?”
HARRIS: “That’s correct Anderson, I’m going to stick in every instance to what was in the actual story.”
So what’s the Perry camp saying? Spokesperson Ray Sullivan said in an email to Fox News...
"For a candidate and campaign that claim to be the victims of unfounded and unproven accusations, they are awfully quick to hurl unfounded accusations themselves ... Contrary to the Cain campaign's false accusations, there is not one shred of evidence that any member of the Perry team had anything to do with the recent stories regarding Herman Cain -- because it isn't true."
Next for Cain? Looks like he’s laying low, at least for now. Politico has more...
“Herman Cain is keeping a low profile after three bruising days in the limelight, Today, there’s little evidence that Cain will do anything in public. And it is unclear whether he remains in Washington, where he has been the last few days.”
Transcript by Newsy.
