I think the only thing that would save Cain is if he has evidence he couldn't have done what Ms. Bialek claims, like: he was in another state that night or he was using a town car service that night and didn't drive himself anywhere. Short of that, it might help if he obtains a copy of her hotel room record which shows she wasn't upgraded to a suite.
Attacks on her reputation are unlikely to work, unless they relate to something like a history of making false accusations of sexual harassment.
I wonder how many of the Chief Executives of the National Restaurant Association have had similar claims filed against them that ended in settlements. If the answer is none, I think that's something that bears consideration: one executive has three complaints that end in settlement while everyone else had none.
Lots of people have said Cain wasn't adequately vetted. Just as troubling as the allegations to me is his seeming arrogance in knowing these claims were out there and thinking no one would find out or if they did, no one would care.
It's reminiscent of John Edwards, who stayed in the primaries thinking he could keep his relationship with Rielle Hunter a secret. Not to mention, after Edwards' protestations of denial and statements of how much he loved Elizabeth, Cain's fall-back position that he's been married 43 years is unlikely to convince anyone.
I also doubt that Cain knows what other evidence Gloria Allred has collected to support her client's allegations. Gloria may be a grand-stander, and no one winces more than I do when she appears on the scene, but she does her homework. I'm sure she vetted her client and her allegations before going public and came up with nothing that sinks her. She probably also anticipated Cain's reaction and has held some things back for Round 2. If not, she's slipping.
Another tactic by Cain that's likely to go nowhere is questioning who's paying Bialek's legal fees. These kinds of cases, like personal injury cases, are taken on contingencies with the lawyer fronting the expenses, gambling that there will be a book deal or other money coming later. Gloria doesn't take these cases out of the goodness of her heart. She's said in the past most of her cases are taken on a contingent fee basis. Even her firm's website says:
We often take employment case on a contingency basis, meaning the fees for our legal services are paid upon successful completion of the services and usually calculated as a percentage of the gain realized for the client. In other words, once your case is resolved we take a percentage of the settlement. Our firm is proud to provide power to the powerless, helping California clients victimized by those who possess money, celebrity and influence. Our attorneys are dedicated to not only the recovery of compensation but to setting the precedents that will ensure that no other person is victimized in the same way again.
