Atlanta woman says she and Herman Cain had 13-year, ‘off-and-on’ affair

A local Atlanta businesswoman went on local television this evening to declare that she had had a 13-year, “off-and-on” relationship with GOP presidential hopeful Herman Cain.

“It was pretty simple. It wasn’t complicated. I was aware that he was married. I was also aware that I was involved in a very inappropriate situation,” Ginger White said in a televised interview with Fox 5 Atlanta reporter Dale Russell.

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Ginger White poses for a photo near Dunwoody, Ga. on Monday. In an explosive allegation, White said Monday she and Republican presidential hopeful Herman Cain had a 13-year extramarital affair that lasted nearly until the former businessman announced his candidacy for the White House several months ago. AP/Greg Bluestein

In a move to pre-empt the report, Cain went to CNN’s Wolf Blitzer an hour before the Fox 5 broadcast, where he pointed to the report as the latest attempt to smear his candidacy.

Earlier this month, Cain’s rocketing candidacy was hit with accusations of inappropriate behavior toward three women while he was president of the National Restaurant Association. Cain denied any suggestions that he had harassed or made unwanted passes at the women.

“Here we go again,” Cain said Monday to Blitzer. “We will basically show, when the details become available, that I didn’t do anything wrong.”

But Cain, an ordained Baptist minister, said he couldn’t rule out any other accusations:

”Think about it, Wolf. You go through life and you believe that you have some people that are friends. And when someone that appears to be a friend, turns around and concocts this story, you’ve got to question – the hundreds of thousands of people that I have met in my life, a hundred thousand people could possibly come out. Do I know of any that might come out? Not off the top of my head.”

Cain pointed to his Atlanta attorney, Linn Wood, for further details. But in a letter to Fox 5, Wood didn’t repeat Cain’s denials:

This is not an accusation of harassment in the workplace – this is not an accusation of an assault – which are subject matters of legitimate inquiry to a political candidate.

Rather, this appears to be an accusation of private, alleged consensual conduct between adults – a subject matter which is not a proper subject of inquiry by the media or the public. No individual, whether a private citizen, a candidate for public office or a public official, should be questioned about his or her private sexual life. The public’s right to know and the media’s right to report has boundaries and most certainly those boundaries end outside of one’s bedroom door.

In the Fox 5 interview, White said she was pressured to confess the affair by inquiries from other media outlets. “I wanted to give my side, before it was thrown out there and made out to be something, you know, filthy,” she said.

The two met in the late 1990s in Louisville, Ky., where Cain had given a presentation. Drinks led to an invitation to his hotel room, she said. Afterwards, Cain would fly her to locations where he was speaking.

“He made it very intriguing. It was fun. It was something that took me away from my humdrum life at the time. And it was exciting,” White said. She provided Russell with copies of her cell phone bill, showing text messages and phone calls from a number that White said was Cain’s private cell phone number.

“We never worked together. I can’t imagine anyone phoning or texting me for the last two and a half years just because,” White said.

Russell said he texted the cell number that White provided, and that Cain replied. The GOP candidate said White had the number because he had provided financial assistance to her.

White said the physical relationship ended eight months ago, not long before Cain announced his candidacy.

In his CNN interview, Cain said neither his wife nor any member of his family knew the woman in question. He insisted he would not leave the contest – unless the pressure became too great on his wife and family.

“I am sick and tired of the hurt and harm that somebody out there is doing to my family, more so [than] to me, with these baseless charges. What this says is, somebody is awfully afraid I’m doing too well in this Republican nomination,” Cain said.

Note: Commenting on this post has been closed until morning.

- By Jim Galloway, Political Insider

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222 comments Add your comment

OK, prove that the Stimulus did not help

November 28th, 2011
5:22 pm

No extra credit granted for using the heritage foundation as a reference source

Dollar Bill

November 28th, 2011
5:22 pm

When you sit down and contemplate running for ANY political office, one would have to take a look at all your indiscretions. I cannot believe Herman would not pass and say no thanks.

BRW

November 28th, 2011
5:22 pm

LOL! Pete. LIke that makes you smarter than the average voter. Pat yourself on the back again. I have a masters degree in electrical engineering but I don’t use a lot of Calculus to determine who’s capable of getting my vote.

Bill

November 28th, 2011
5:22 pm

Pete,
I think you have been drinking the republican koolaid. I am not completely pleased with Obama’s performance, but probably for different reasons than you. I do think Obama is capable, but he has not done the best job of using his talents. It does not help that for the last 4 years the republicans have made his defeat job #1, the country be damned.

If you are a small business person, you should be scared to death of 9-9-9. Cain has stumble too many times on foreign affairs. It appears that he was a competent business man (ignoring the harassment allegations), but that is not enough. If I saw anyone on the republican side who looked better, I would be interested. The only one that seems reasonable it John Huntsman, and he does not appear to have a chance. Give me a good Eisenhower republican.

td

November 28th, 2011
5:22 pm

When are people going to wake up and realize that republicans are dangerous for society. They have taken an imperfect system and made it worse. They believe in wars and violence. Vote democrat all day baby!

Peter

November 28th, 2011
5:23 pm

Pete …….. What did America do to help get things going after the Great Depression ?

DannyX

November 28th, 2011
5:24 pm

“I have a master’s in business.”

More like a master’s degree in Fox News.

Pete

November 28th, 2011
5:24 pm

I love the fact that because I do not like Obama I must be a republican and watch Fox news. I cannot stand the media. They determine who the American people vote for. Plain and Simple. They got Obama elected, fact. The media did not dig up any dirt on him and when some was presented they slid it under the rug. Obama was a rock star, not a politician. People fell in love with the “Hope and Change” slogan/ Why do you think so many Dems are deciding to retire or not seek re-election? Why do you think Obama backers such as Chris Mathews are saying such bad things about him?

Peter

November 28th, 2011
5:24 pm

Pete after Bush the country is not wanting the fox’s to run the hen house any more !

Gman

November 28th, 2011
5:25 pm

Shane, Shane, Shane! Why would this woman have copies of HIS credit card receipts?

Pete

November 28th, 2011
5:25 pm

Peter, if you knew anything about history a lot of economist thing that hurt the country more than helped it.

To Peter: we got dragged into WWII

November 28th, 2011
5:25 pm

Building all those tanks and planes did wonders for US productivity

Bill

November 28th, 2011
5:26 pm

Pete,
Never brag about your education. It is unseemly.

LaQuidra

November 28th, 2011
5:26 pm

Peter

November 28th, 2011
5:26 pm

Pete what would you do to get the economy going ? And if you say cut taxes, we know you are brain washed !

Pete

November 28th, 2011
5:27 pm

It amazes me at the argument some of you have. But Bush, but Fox news. I cannot stand EITHER one of them. I cannot stand career politicians. I think all politicians should have term limits. That would stop these people from pandering to the lowest common denominator to get reelected. maxine Waters is a prime example

mojo3

November 28th, 2011
5:27 pm

Wonder if this is…”Hell Hath No Fury, like that of a woman SCORNED!!!”

amazing

November 28th, 2011
5:27 pm

Can’t blame the liberal media as this is a reporter for the Fox affilate in Atlanta!

Bill

November 28th, 2011
5:27 pm

Pete,
Tacking the word “fact” on to the end of your sentence does not make it so, and it does not improve your case.

BRW

November 28th, 2011
5:27 pm

Well Petey, my parents lived and worked through the GD and believe me when I tell you they voted for FDR and would again, never Mr. Hoover and his trickle-down economics….

Pete

November 28th, 2011
5:28 pm

Cut taxes? No, I would cut spending. Across the bored. Defense included. Or federal government is out of control. We need to reign them in

Spermin' Herman

November 28th, 2011
5:28 pm

NINE

NINE

Look at them breastuses!

EIGHT!

Marc

November 28th, 2011
5:29 pm

Lol….lol…lol…Herman D. Clown crashes and burns. All he is missing is the big nose and funny pants…..lmao.

Peter

November 28th, 2011
5:29 pm

999 is really an attack on the poor and middle class……. but hey you have to read and comprehend to understand that !

DannyX

November 28th, 2011
5:29 pm

“Across the bored.” “Or federal government is out of control.”

Master’s degree? LMAO!

Shane Barber

November 28th, 2011
5:29 pm

I am sure they bought things/ he paid for things if she was unemployed.. You have never gone to eat and end up with a friends receipts? Pictures/phone bill showing he called her all times of the day/night.. Not just once a week. HOW about an AIRPLANE TICKET. 13 years they travelled somewhere…

@bakedflounder

November 28th, 2011
5:30 pm

It doesn’t look like “Always Skeptical” is skeptical enough. He just said he did NOT have an affair. The lib media is trying to ruin him.

Pete

November 28th, 2011
5:31 pm

Bill, People that bring up “taxes were higher in the 50’s and 60’s” fail to realize there were so many loopholes that the rich did not care how high it went. I just want people on both sides to do a little research and not vote for someone because he is black, a great speaker, a career politician, has a great slogan, etc. If most people in Hollywood like someone you should always vote the opposite

As a slimy no-good Liberal Democrat

November 28th, 2011
5:31 pm

I don’t worship the ground Obama walks on. He’s made some mistakes, he tried to play-nice with the Re-thugs, and that was a big oops. He failed to turn water into wine, he did not instantly stop two wars, instantly cause the complete and instant economic recovery that some people think a president can make happen, and did not somehow magically transform Washington into a land of rainbows and unicorns, But, just for a minute, imagine if somebody like Cain, Romney, or Perry were handed the sh__ bucket of problems that Obama was handed…Would they handle it any better? Good luck with that.

Boris Badnoff

November 28th, 2011
5:31 pm

After Slick Willie, why does any of this matter? The guy is the White House is guilty of bestiality. He married a horse.

Pete

November 28th, 2011
5:31 pm

you got me Danny, I misspelled a word. It never happens.

Shane Barber

November 28th, 2011
5:32 pm

9-9-9 makes everyone pay. ITS FAIR. Why should I pay for people like my own family, that has 2-3 kids they can’t afford but they receive THOUSANDS of dollars in tax breaks…more than they even paid in=HELLO GREECE ? EVERYONE PAYS the same percentage.

Gman

November 28th, 2011
5:32 pm

Shane, Shane, Shane! You never end up with a friends receipt unless you are paying! SMH

Peter

November 28th, 2011
5:32 pm

The reality is America would come un-glued if two “Black men ran against each other…..what would the Bible Belt do ?

What would all the racist’s do ?

What would the ultra conservative’s do ?

The South would riot….. and dam sure someone running would get shot !

Pete

November 28th, 2011
5:33 pm

Peter, I am not a fan of Cain because I do not think he can beat Obama. So I couldn’t care less about his 999 plan

Bill

November 28th, 2011
5:34 pm

Peter,
Since Pete won’t answer your question about what we did to get the economy going and end the depression, I will.

FDR tried a lot of stimulus spending at first, CCC, WPA, and stuff like that. He got a lot of heat and pulled back, and things slipped backwards again. We kind of muddled along for nearly 10 years. Then, we launched the largest stimulus the world had ever seen; WWII. This essentially ended the depression.

However, 4 years later our debt was 120% of GDP (today it is approaching 100%). So, what did we cut? Nothing. We invested in the Marshall plan, we rebuilt Japan, we launched the GI bill for housing and education, we started the interstate highway system and launched the space program. And, with all of this deficit spending, debt to gdp dropped every year until 1982. It has risen every year since, except for a couple of years under Clinton. By the time Obama took office debt to GDP was above 90%.

Peter

November 28th, 2011
5:34 pm

Pete who then ? There is not a legitimate candidate from the Republican’s….cause the next guy to run after Obama wins is the Bush Boy from Florida……just an opinion.

By the way he may be the smartest of all the Bush’s !

double

November 28th, 2011
5:37 pm

Someone done hijacked TD’s name Or he is so distraught over news Barney Frank retiring he has lost it.Hang in there TD you’ll get over it.

Pete

November 28th, 2011
5:37 pm

I think a combination of Newt’s and Ron Pauls’ policies and theories are the best. But no single candidate stands out to me. Paul has great ideas but also some loony ones. I think Newt is the smartest of the group and would destroy Obama in a debate but I am not sure he cane win because of the skeleton’s in his closet.

Bill

November 28th, 2011
5:39 pm

Pete,

I agree with you. “not vote for someone because he is black, a great speaker, a career politician, has a great slogan, etc.” However, I am dubious that tax breaks were bigger in the 1950s. The middle class grew and flourished, and economic disparity was reduced until about 1970. After 1980, all of the gains have gone to the top 5%, and the middle class is disappearing. I just don’t think more tax cuts for the rich are going to fix that.

DannyX

November 28th, 2011
5:40 pm

“he cane win”

Master’s degree? LMAO!

AtticusFinch

November 28th, 2011
5:41 pm

At least she’s not blonde. (See Fox 5’s page for a pic.)

Bill: The obvious answer: Colonial Imperialism

November 28th, 2011
5:41 pm

the big issue is what is the ROI on all this defense spending? Since the US has the most powerful military in the world, why not make use of all that capability? Countries like Iraq have lots of oil, Mexico has lots of natural resources (and great vacation spots). Solve the oil and immigration issue with one or two simple declarations of war. Bam, problem solved.

Bill

November 28th, 2011
5:41 pm

Pete,
I agree again. Paul has some good ideas and some looney ones. Strangely, that is because he is consistent. That is what you get with a libertarian. I also agree that Gingrich is probably the smartest of the bunch. However, I wouldn’t trust him any farther than I can spit. I think a debate between Gingrich and Obama would be interesting.

ABO....Anybody But Obama

November 28th, 2011
5:42 pm

What is the extent of the “relationship”? Herman, this crap isn’t worth it. We have others that can fight the good fight. You’re OK and would have made a fine president.

Pete

November 28th, 2011
5:43 pm

Bill, look at how many families have gone from the bottom % of income earners to the highest % of income earners over the last 30 years. That is what we need to look at. Not the income gap between rich and poor. The republicans are just as responsible for growing the government and the debt as the dems are. That is why I want a smaller government. I do not want the federal government to be able to mandate that everyone buys help insurance. May sound bad, but I do not care what happens to a person in Idaho. If the govenment wants to cover people till they are 18 and after 65 I would have no issue with that

Pete's brother

November 28th, 2011
5:43 pm

I’d like to apologize for my brother’s ill formed arguments. He’s just a very angry person and has listened to a lot of talk radio.

Bill

November 28th, 2011
5:44 pm

Colonial,

Yes, we have the largest army in the world. I believe we spend about twice as much on defense as all of the rest of the world combined. However, we tried your approach in Afghanistan and Iraq. How is that working out?

ABO....Anybody But Obama

November 28th, 2011
5:45 pm

Somebody is flat out lying. And if I knew I was telling the truth, I would take a lie detector test for those specific questions.
This is out of hand. Feel bad for his wife.

Pete

November 28th, 2011
5:45 pm

I love that Danny equates spelling to education. The funny things is I could be hitting spell check to make sure but I do not think it matters. I guess doctors are idiots because they have sloppy handwriting.