Mark Block, chief of staff to GOP presidential candidate Herman Cain, said Tuesday that the media frenzy over sexual harassment allegations against his boss helped the campaign post one of its best fundraising days ever, with $250,000 coming pouring in since the story broke late Sunday.
Block made the comment while on a panel at National Journal's 2012 Election Preview today. Cain has rocketed to the top of several recent polls with the growing support of tea party voters and social conservatives, two groups with a dim view of the national media.
Block also reiterated that the candidate never sexually harassed anyone, bristling when questioned about whether more women will come forward with charges that the Republican presidential candidate acted inappropriately toward them.
“If we have to spend every hour every day responding to these ridiculous accusations, it would take us off our message, and our campaign,” Block said. “So my statement will stand. Mr. Cain has never sexually harassed anybody, end of story.”
Prodded by ABC News’s Amy Walter on whether he could guarantee that no other women will emerge to accuse Cain of misconduct, Block shot back.
“Amy, what didn’t you understand about what I just said?” he said.
Allegations that two women who worked for Cain during the late 1990s at the National Restaurant Association were given settlements after accusing Cain of sexual harassment have rocked the Georgia businessman’s campaign this week.
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