Woman accuses Cain of sexual harassment - Americas - Al Jazeera English

Sharon Bialek is the fourth woman to accuse Cain of harassment while he was CEO of a restaurant trade group [Getty]

A woman has made sexual harassment allegations against Republican US presidential hopeful Herman Cain, telling a news conference that he attempted to inappropriately touch her in 1997.

Sharon Bialek told reporters in New York on Monday that she met with Cain to ask about getting her old job back at the National Restaurant Association when the incident happened in Washington.

At the time, Cain was chief of a restaurant trade group. Bialek said Cain reached under her skirt and reached for her genitals after she had asked for his help.

When she asked Cain what he was doing, Cain allegedly said, "You want a job, right?"

Bialek appeared with her attorney, Gloria Allred, at a news conference in New York.

Swift denial

A spokesman for Cain's campaign team immediately issued a denial, saying that "all allegations of harassment against Mr Cain are completely false".

He said Cain had "never harassed anyone" and derided the allegations as "bogus attacks".

At least three other women have accused Cain of sexual harassment from his time as the restaurant industry's top lobbyist in the mid-1990s, but Bialek is the first one to go public.

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