Ginger White: Is Herman Cain's accuser credible?
Ginger White, the Atlanta businesswoman who claims she had a 13-year affair with GOP presidential candidate Herman Cain, was on television Wednesday morning repeating her claims. She told George Stephanopoulos on 鈥�Good Morning America鈥� that 鈥淚 can鈥檛 make this stuff up. Never in a million years could I make this stuff up.鈥�
Is she credible? After all, Mr. Cain is denying the extramarital affair ever happened.
and in a monotone in response to Mr. Stephanopoulos's questions. She seemed calm, if somewhat reserved. But more than her demeanor, it鈥檚 her phone records that appear to be the most important evidence of an affair that she has produced so far.
And on Wednesday morning she produced more records. She gave ABC phone bills showing contact with Cain鈥檚 private cellphone number into the fall 鈥� all the way up to mid-November.
鈥淣ovember 8, 13, 14 鈥� he鈥檚 texting you all month long,鈥� said Stephanopoulos. He sounded astonished.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 correct. Our communication was up until just last week,鈥� said White.
Wow. If this is true, Cain was in contact with a mistress during the very period when he was beset by revelations that he had been hit with sexual harassment complaints in the past. Was he trying to get White to stay quiet?
鈥淣o,鈥� said White. 鈥淣ever in a million years did he think I would speak out.鈥�
For his part, Cain is challenging White鈥檚 story. He has denied the whole thing, and in an e-mail to supporters he called White a 鈥渢roubled ... woman鈥� who is using 鈥渘ational media outlets to promulgate a fabricated, unsubstantiated story.鈥�
White has indeed been involved in trouble in the past. Whether that makes her 鈥渢roubled鈥� is another question. She lost a libel suit filed by a former business partner. That same ex-partner, bodybuilder Kimberly Vay, filed a restraining order against White, but that the order was never made final.
In a brief interview with the Tuesday evening, after a speech at the Michigan school, Cain said he was 鈥渄one鈥� with the allegations and that the media were overplaying his comment to supporters that he was 鈥渞eassessing鈥� the campaign.
He isn鈥檛 listening to the usual suspects, he said.
鈥淭he reassessment isn鈥檛 based on what the media wants, or what the establishment wants, but what the people want,鈥� he told the paper.
So the principals in this argument have not only conflicting stories but conflicting universes, apparently. Who is right? It would seem that the allegations are checkable, in that there should be some kind of documentary trail establishing the affair 鈥� hotel records, plane tickets, and so forth. White did produce the phone bills, but implied she had not kept much else.
鈥淲hen you enter into a private relationship that you do not care to share with the public you really do not enter into that holding onto receipts, holding onto gifts to come out with that say, yeah, that happened, here鈥檚 the proof,鈥� said White on ABC.
Whom do you believe here? Feel free to enter into a conversation in the comments below.
