WASHINGTON - Republican presidential hopeful Herman Cain struggled to keep his candidacy alive, denouncing the media and attacking rivals amid revelations that he was repeatedly accused of sexual harassment in his time as a Washington lobbyist.
But four days after facts came to light that two women had received cash payments after accusing him of harassment in the 1990s, Cain's public image Thursday was still being tarnished by the threat of a damaging written statement by one of his accusers and his own campaign's handling of the scandal.
"This will not deter me" in the race for the White House, Cain declared as he made a series of appearances on conservative media outlets. He repeatedly denied the accusations and blamed a political culture he said assumed guilt "until proven innocent."
At the same time, he tried to demonstrate a campaign returning to normalcy. He discussed foreign policy with former Henry Kissinger and held other meetings in New York.
Cain has said consistently he never sexually harassed anyone, but his answers to other pertinent questions keep changing. In one instance, he first denied knowing of any financial settlements with his accusers, then said he recalled one. He explained the apparent contradiction by saying that he had been aware of an "agreement" but not a "settlement."
On Wednesday, Cain said he believed a political consultant for rival Rick Perry had leaked the information. The consultant, Curt Anderson, denied it. Cain's campaign chief of staff then went on Fox News to stand by the accusation, then reversed course and said they accepted Anderson's explanation.
Politico, citing anonymous sources, reported that one of the women contended that Cain made a sexual overture to her and invited her to his hotel room during a National Restaurant Association event in the late 1990s. The report said the woman was livid and complained to a member of the group's board later that night.
The publication cited multiple sources, including an acquaintance of the woman and a person who attended the restaurant association meeting at which the woman lodged her complaint.
Joel Bennett, an attorney for one of the women alleging sexual harassment, said he was seeking permission from the National Restaurant Association to release a statement on her behalf. Under an agreement reached in 1999, the woman agreed not to speak publicly about the episode she said occurred when she worked for the trade group and Cain was its president.
Cain has not said whether he wants his former employer to grant the woman's request. Sue Hensley, a spokeswoman for the restaurant group, said its lawyers were reviewing the draft statement and would respond on Friday.
For the most part, Cain's presidential rivals steered clear of the controversy, preferring to let it play out.
Whatever the outcome, Cain's spokesman, J.D. Gordon, said the campaign had raised $1.2 million since news of the allegations first surfaced.
The controversy erupted at a time when Cain had vaulted to the top of public opinion polls as a leading conservative challenger to former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney for the Republican nomination.
