A woman accused Republican presidential hopeful Herman Cain of improperly touching her in 1997 while he was the head of the National Restaurant Association. At least two other women had lodged formal complaints against Cain when he was head of the restaurant association, but Sharon Bialek has become the first to appear in public and make a statement. Bialek said she and Cain had dinner together in Washington, D.C., and she asked him to help her find a job. She said the incident took place in a parked car after dinner.

Sharon Bialek, Cain accuser: “I thought that we were going to go into the offices so that he could show me around. At that time I had on a black pleated skirt, a suit jacket and a blouse. He had on a suit with his shirt open. But instead of going into the offices, he suddenly reached over, and he put his hand on my leg, under my skirt, and reached for my genitals. He also grabbed my head and brought it towards his crotch. I was very, very surprised and very shocked. I said, 'What are you doing? You know I have a boyfriend. This isn't what I came here for.’ Mr. Cain said, 'You want a job, right?' I asked him to stop, and he did. I asked him to take me back to my hotel, which he did, right away.”

Speaking at a news conference in New York City, Sharon Bialek explained why she had decided to speak publicly about Herman Cain.

Sharon Bialek: “I’m coming forward to give a face and a voice to those women who cannot, or for whatever reason do not wish to, come forward, and on behalf of all women who are sexually harassed in the workplace but do not come out of fear of retaliation or in public humiliation. I really didn’t want to be here today and wouldn’t have been here if it had not been for the three other women who have alleged sexual harassment against Mr. Cain. I want you, Mr. Cain, to come clean, just admit what you did.”

Herman Cain is planning to respond to the accusation at a press conference today. In an interview with Jimmy Kimmel, Cain said, “There’s not an ounce of truth in all of these accusations.”