Alleged Herman Cain Sexual Harrassment Story Gets Upgraded To Criminal Sexual Abuse

[kpete]

Now, let’s be clear, these allegations are unproven and Herman Cain is entitled to the same presumption of innocence that anyone accused of a crime has a right to. But Cain has now been accused of a crime. Cain’s alleged actions occurred in the District of Columbia, where the law provides that “whoever engages in a sexual act or sexual contact with another person and who should have knowledge or reason to know that the act was committed without that other person’s permission, shall be imprisoned for not more than 180 days and, in addition, may be fined in an amount not to exceed $1,000.”

These allegations also up the ante considerably for the many, many Republicans who raced to defend Cain last week by denying that sexual harassment is even a real problem. (They are wrong. One in 10 women in the workplace will at some point be “promised promotion or better treatment if they ‘sexually cooperative’” with a co-worker or supervisor.) Yet even the GOP’s most rabid deniers of sexism will have a tough time arguing that there is nothing wrong with grabbing a person’s genitals against their will or trying to physically push them to perform oral sex on you.

MORE:
http://thinkprogress.org/justice/2011/11/07/363135/alleged-herman-cain-sexual-harrassment-story-gets-upgraded-to-criminal-sexual-abuse/

[spanone]

1. k&r...

[redqueen]

2. "Yet even the GOP’s most rabid deniers of sexism will have a tough time..."

I dunno about that. I would put money on the most popular rationalization being something along the lines of 'she led him on'.

Somehow, it will be framed as her fault. That is if she's even taken seriously. Far more popular will be the 'no formal complaint? then it never happened' song and dance.

[BanTheGOP]

3. I wrote about this a week ago and got unrec'd.

But I don't really care. My predictions have been relatively spot on the past few years. IN any case, Herman Cain is a SEX OFFENDER.

Here is my original post: Herman Cain is a SEX OFFENDER and MUST BE TAKEN TO ACCOUNT

[pnwmom]

8. But a week ago there were no identified accusers and no details.

So a week ago, all you were doing was speculating.

[Name removed]

12. Deleted message

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[pnwmom]

13. I have no problem believing that more evidence will come out in the future.

But you were basing your claims a week ago on nothing but your suspicions. Your suspicions constitute evidence of nothing.

Now we have a woman standing up bravely and telling her story. And she appears extremely credible.

[abelenkpe]

15. Is that real?

Cain is in the Georgia sex offenders database?

[TheWraith]

17. No, it's a fake. nt

[aint_no_life_nowhere]

4. What this story says about Herman Cain, who could never be President regardless,

is not as important as what it will say about the modern day Republican party, should they continue to make Cain their frontrunner.

[AlinPA]

10. Bingo.

[teddy51]

5. Is there a 7 year time limit on this crime though? I thought I heard that

this happened in the 90'ies, no?

[mdavies013]

6. Apparently you did not get the memo...it only matters if a Dem did it...

Soon Fox will be referring to Cain as a Democrat Presidential hopeful.

[abelenkpe]

7. I thought the sexual harrassment charges were settled in court

if so why are they just allegations. Why would someone settle if there was no crime?

[Hell Hath No Fury]

9. The woman who spoke out did not --

was not employed by the company that the other accusers were at so she did not get any settlement.

[seabeyond]

11. the ones that settled are not allowed to speak, per settlement. did not go to court. nt

[pnwmom]

14. There are four alleged victims so far, two of whom settled.

You're right -- a small settlement of a couple of months pay might be made just to end the situation. But these settlements were substantial -- and that certainly does raise questions. Why did they settle? And why did Cain leave his position at the NRA shortly afterwards, before his term was up?

[TNLib]

16. The allegations have gone far beyond Sexual Harassment in the workplace.

Now it's about sexual assault.