Cain: Wife didn't know about friendship, ‘financial assistance' to Ginger White

Union-Leader ^ | 12-1-2011 | John DiStaso

[smoothsailing]

Cain: Wife didn't know about friendship, ‘financial assistance' to Ginger White

Republican presidential candidate Herman Cain is questioned by New Hampshire Union Leader publisher Joe McQuaid in Manchester Thursday. David Lane

MANCHESTER - In his most candid interview since the latest allegations emerged, Herman Cain adamantly maintains that he and Ginger White were no more than friends. He told the New Hampshire Union Leader that in about 70 text messages she sent him between Oct. 22 and Nov. 18, she was "asking for financial assistance. She was out of work and had trouble paying her bills and I had known her as a friend."
By JOHN DiSTASO
Senior Political Reporter
MANCHESTER - Herman Cain acknowledged Thursday that he repeatedly gave Ginger White money to help her with "month-to-month bills and expenses" without telling his wife.

In fact, the embattled presidential candidate said, his wife, Gloria, "did not know that we were friends until she (White) came out with this story."

In his most candid interview since the latest allegations emerged, Cain adamantly maintained that he and White were no more than friends.

He told the New Hampshire Union Leader that in about 70 text messages she sent him between Oct. 22 and Nov. 18, she was "asking for financial assistance. She was out of work and had trouble paying her bills and I had known her as a friend.

"She wasn't the only friend who I had helped in these tough economic times, and so her messages to me were relating to ‘need money for rent' or whatever the case may be. I don't remember all the specifics."

Cain said White, who has alleged that she and Cain had a 13-year extramarital affair, told him that she did not have a job and was unable to get financial help from her family, "and that quite frankly, I was the only person who was a friend at the time - and I underscore ‘friend' - that was in a position to help her.


"I'm a soft-hearted person when it comes to that stuff. I have helped members of my church. I have helped members of my family.


"And I know a lot of other people who had done the same thing, and sometimes, quite frankly, it was desperation," Cain said.


Cain said that in 17 reported text messages back to her, he would respond with messages such as, "What are you doing to get a job?"


Cain said he did give Ginger White money, although he would not say how much on the advice of counsel.


And, he acknowledged, "My wife did not know about it, and that was the revelation. My wife found out about it when she went public with it.


"My wife now knows," Cain said. "My wife and I have talked about it and I have explained it to her. My wife understands that I'm a soft-hearted giving person."


He said his wife "is comfortable with the explanation that I told her."


He said he told his wife about White only after White went public.


Cain said that in retrospect he should have told his wife about his friendship with White, "but retrospect doesn't necessarily change what's going on now."


He also said his wife "did not know we were friends until she (White) came out with this story."


He said White did not threaten to go public with the allegation of an affair if Cain did not give her money, "nor was there any indication that there might be blackmail or anything like that.


"I thought I was helping a friend, end of story," he said.


Cain said the two "struck up a friendship" many years ago when she attended a conference in Louisville, Ky., where he was the keynote speaker.


Cain said he does not know why White has gone public with the allegation.


"But I have very strong speculation that someone offered her a lot of money," Cain said. "I was helping her with month-to-month bills and expenses and somebody _ this is speculation only _ offered her a lot of money.


"And one of my objectives is to clear my name and my reputation," Cain said.


(This story will be updated throughout the evening.)

[Mechanicos]

If Adultery mattered with conservatives Newt would not be up in the “polls.” If Amnesty mattered with conservatives Newt would be down with the claimed “polls” of Perry. If Corp Cronyism mattered Newt would be down in the polls. I refuse to believe so-called polls that go against common sense. The fact is they are forcing otherwise good people to not vote for who they want because they are being lied to about who is doing well and can get elected.

[who knows what evil?]

“Nice guys finish last.”

[Gator113]

I’m going out on a limb here, but I just don’t think he can hang onto that 9% in the polls....

Maybe I’m wrong.... we shall see.

[Nervous Tick]

>> If we gave $10 for a fundraiser at work

There’s a BIG difference between a one-time gift to help someone past a rough spot and paying a single woman’s monthly maintenance bills.

If you don’t understand that difference, I’ll bet Mrs. Gumble can help you figure it out. :-)

[tjd1454]

Busted. I don't care how "innocent" the situation is. If your wife ain't in the loop on something like this....

If he was supporting another woman financially and emotionally without telling his wife, then he was being very dishonest with her and should not be supported by anyone who respects the sanctity of marriage.

Exactly. Glad to see some of you willing to call a spade a spade on these Cain threads amidst all the lame excuses people are giving as to why there was "no problem whatsoever" with a married man carrying on a 13-year "friendship" which included financial benefits (red flag!), and who didn't bother to tell his wife.

Either he is utterly insensitive and clueless about his responsibility towards his wife, or he is not telling the whole truth about the nature of the relationship.

His story doesn't quite add up as to why he would be helping this woman, and talking to her rather frequently all hours of the day or night - UNTIL you add in a sexual component. Oh - I get it now...

Where’s the crime?

You are asking the wrong question - and I suspect deliberately obfuscating the issue. No one here is claiming that Cain committed a "crime." The issue is whether or not the allegations regarding a sexual affair are true or not. I hope they are not, but so far his explanation doesn't add up IMHO.

[Berlin_Freeper]

[sunmars]

I’ll tell you now, no man keeps on giving a woman money every month for no reason.

Sorry Herman but your time is up. Cains finished.

[jessduntno]

and George wasnt running for office...

and he didn’t do it for thirteen years....

[circlecity]

I starting to sound to me like this chick was just a prostitute.

[Gator113]

I’m looking forward to his cartoon movie on THIS. LOL

[ktupper]

I think we view his actions through our eyes. In our world, giving someone say $500 for rent is a big deal. If we gave $10 for a fundraiser at work, we may not tell our wives. To Cain, perhaps $500 is like $10 is to us. It would help his case, if he said “over the last X years, I’ve given $y to this many people”

===================

I don't think so. Thankfully, I'm pretty well off. My wife doesn't manage our finances and I regularly support organizations without necessarily asking permission. If it's significant, say $5000, I usually let her know about it. If it's a regular thing, as in something on my heart or hers, the other knows about it.

But there is a vast difference between supporting an organization, a cause, and a person. And there is a even bigger difference between supporting a person and supporting a person of the opposite sex. My wife trusts me and I trust her. And because we trust each other, you can bet that I'm not going to even have the appearance of hurting her by attaching myself to supporting someone else in that way without her being told by me.

At least that's my view on it. Clearly, it's not HC's. But HC is finding out, his view on this is not close to the mainstream Conservative view. His fundraising has dried up and he is taking a hit in the polls.

[ktupper]

I think we view his actions through our eyes. In our world, giving someone say $500 for rent is a big deal. If we gave $10 for a fundraiser at work, we may not tell our wives. To Cain, perhaps $500 is like $10 is to us. It would help his case, if he said “over the last X years, I’ve given $y to this many people”

===================

I don't think so. Thankfully, I'm pretty well off. My wife doesn't manage our finances and I regularly support organizations without necessarily asking permission. If it's significant, say $5000, I usually let her know about it. If it's a regular thing, as in something on my heart or hers, the other knows about it.

But there is a vast difference between supporting an organization, a cause, and a person. And there is a even bigger difference between supporting a person and supporting a person of the opposite sex. My wife trusts me and I trust her. And because we trust each other, you can bet that I'm not going to even have the appearance of hurting her by attaching myself to supporting someone else in that way without her being told by me.

At least that's my view on it. Clearly, it's not HC's. But HC is finding out, his view on this is not close to the mainstream Conservative view. His fundraising has dried up and he is taking a hit in the polls.

[riverdawg]

“But it doesn’t speak well for HC’s judgment, IMO, if he’s a married man and giving another woman money and his wife doesn’t know a thing about it.”

Couldn't have said it better. And Newt's “judgment” is even more questionable, but the fix seems to be in for him to be the Republican nominee. Newt's current story about his well-known marital affairs reminds me of a line from a popular song last year: “I've done some things but that was the old me.”

[Sacajaweau]

"I did not have sex with that woman".....

This all sounds so familiar. Bubba and Monica exchanged gifts throughout their "non-sex" relationship.

The difference....I think Hillary and 100 other "loyalists" knew. I don't think Cain has that type of following.

[jessduntno]

“Heck, over the past 2 days, several of the Cain’s FR people have been insisting she knew... so all was well.”

Brace yourself for the incoming flood of apologies and “gee, maybe you were right” notes.

[sunmars]

Well Ginger White sure does sound like something you’d find on a street corner and i don’t mean selling candy floss.

[Esther Ruth]

If his intentions were entirely honourable, then it’s something he would have proudly shared with his wife.

***

No one with half a brain, especially in his position in business and in his congregation of 14,000, would be passing cash off to anyone without there being an accounting for it, a paper trail, without there being “witnesses” so as to guard his reputation in every way possible, so there would be no questions at all about the nature of the gift. Scripture says conduct above reproach -

[MHGinTN]

IIRC, Gloria brought this female up in Greta's interview, a week before the Atlanta station aired the story. And the jumping for conclusions to murder Herman Cain's name still have no proof of moral wrong-doing to hang their swan dives upon, well, other than the word of very questionable females who are telling us whom not to vote for, just as the DNC would advise conservatives, again..

[PSYCHO-FREEP]

Cain is now down to 6% in Florida. It is 50% Gingrich, 19% Romney, 6% Cain.

[circlecity]

"Well Ginger White sure does sound like something you’d find on a street corner and i don’t mean selling candy floss."

Yeah. I'm thinking there were lots of $500 payments - always following a couple hours time with Ginger.