Chicago-area native Sharon Bialek said on Monday at a press conference in Los Angeles, with celebrity attorney Gloria Allred at her side, that she was sexually harassed by Republican presidential candidate Herman Cain in 1997 after meeting him at the National Restaurant Association’s annual convention in Chicago.
Bialek is the fourth woman to claim that she was harrassed by Cain — as of today three others are anonymous.
Sharon Bialek’s statement released by Attorney Gloria Allred …
Ms. Bialek’s Statement
I met Mr. Cain while I was employed at the Educational
Foundation of the National Restaurant Association.About a month before I was terminated I interacted with
him on several occasions during the five days of the NRA
Convention in Chicago. Mr. Cain sat next to me at Marche
restaurant and he spoke to me throughout most of the dinner.
During the convention there was also a luncheon at which high
school students that had performed well in the industry were
honored. Mr. Cain sat next to me at that luncheon and spoke to
me extensively. Mr. Cain was the keynote speaker at the
luncheon. He was incredibly inspirational. When he sat down I
said to him, “when are you running for President?”.The final night of the conference Mr. Cain sat at a table
with me and my boyfriend. He was warm and attentive to both
of us and invited us to join him at the after party in a suite at
the hotel which we did. I felt very honored to be included in
this select gathering.About a month later I was let go by the Foundation. I was
devastated. I loved the job and the industry and in the short
time that I had been there I felt that we were doing well in
terms of fundraising.My boyfriend suggested that I should reach out to Mr.
Cain to see if he might be able to help me find another job with
the Foundation or in some other capacity. He said,: “Herman
seemed to think highly of you. Why don’t you contact him and
see if he can help you find a job?”I called Mr. Cain’s secretary and left a message‐ Mr. Cain
called me back. I told him that I had been let go. He said that he
was unaware of it. I explained that I was going to be visiting my
boyfriend’s family and would only be a couple of hours train
ride from DC which is where the NRA had its national office. I
asked if he could meet me for coffee. He said that he would and
that I should call once I had firmed up the dates and the
arrangements.My boyfriend booked a room for me at the Capital Hilton
Hotel and I called Mr. Cain to let him know my arrival date and
that I would be staying at the Capitol Hilton Hotel I asked him
where we should meet. He suggested the lobby bar. This was in
mid‐July, 1997.I took the train into Washington, D.C. When I went to
check into the room I was shocked to be taken to a palatial
suite. I told the bellman that there must be some mistake, but
he insisted that there was no mistake. I later found out that Mr.
Cain had arranged for the suite, though at the time I thought
that perhaps my boyfriend had decided to surprise me.
I met Mr. Cain in the lobby at about 6:30pm and we had
drinks at the hotel. He asked me how I liked my room and I
explained that I was surprised. I said that I could not believe
that I was given this gorgeous Senator’s suite. Mr. Cain smirked
and then said, “I upgraded you”.He then took me to an Italian Restaurant where we had
dinner. During dinner Mr. Cain looked at me and said, “why are
you here.” I said, “Actually Herman, my boyfriend, whom you
met, suggested that I come‐ He thought that you could help
me. I need a job. I was wondering if there is anything available
at the state association level or if you could speak to someone
at the Foundation on my behalf, perhaps in a different
department.” He said that he would look into it.He said that he would show me where the National
Restaurant Association offices were and then drove past the
offices. He parked the car down the block. I thought that we
were going into the offices so that he could show me around. I
was wearing a black pleated skirt, a blouse and a suit jacket. He
had on a suit jacket without a tie. Instead of going in he
suddenly reached over and put his hand on my leg, under my
skirt and reached for my genitals. He also grabbed my head and
brought it towards his crotch. I was surprised and shocked and I
said,” What are you doing? You know I have a boyfriend. This is
not what I came here for.” Mr. Cain said, “You want a job,
right?”. I asked him to stop and he did. I asked him to take me
back to my hotel which he did.When I returned to New Jersey where I was staying I told
my boyfriend that Mr. Cain had been sexually inappropriate
with me and shortly thereafter I told another friend of mine
who has been a mentor the same thing. I did not tell them the
details because I was embarrassed, but I did tell them that Mr.
Cain had been sexually inappropriate and that I was upset by
his behavior.That was the last time that I saw Mr. Cain until I saw him
about a month ago at a Tea Party Conference at WIND Chicago
Radio Tea Party Conference in Chicago. I did not know that he
would be there. I went up to him and asked if he remembered
me. I wanted to see if he would be man enough to own up to
what he had done some 14 years ago. He acknowledged that he
remembered me from the Foundation, looked uncomfortable
and said nothing as he left for his speech. During his speech he
had the same infectious presence and command as he did
when I had heard him speak the first time some 14 years
previously at the NRA Convention. I kept wondering whether he
had done to other women what he had done to me and
whether anyone was going to speak up about it. I had hoped
that for his sake and his candidacy that mine was an isolated
incident and that he had not exhibited those behaviors with
other women.I did not file a complaint against Mr. Cain as these other
women did since I was not employed at the Foundation when
this occurred, but, I am coming forward now to give a face and
a voice to those women who cannot or do not wish to come
forward and on behalf of all women in the workplace who are
sexually harassed but do not come forward out of fear of
retaliation and public humiliation.I did not want to be here today and would not have been
had it not been for the three other women who have alleged
sexual harassment against Mr. Cain. I want you Mr. Cain to
come clean‐ admit what you did and then move forward.
America is in turmoil. We need a leader who can set an
example which exemplifies the standard of a person of good
moral character. Mr. Cain, I implore you‐ make this right‐ so
that you and the country can move forward and focus on the
real issues at hand.Gloria Allred
Attorney at Law
Representing Sharon Bialek
November 7, 2011
In an interview with FOX News anchor Martha McCallum Tuesday morning, Sharon Bialek did not mention she thought her boyfriend might have upgraded the suite. McCallum asked Bialek why she didn’t clarify her relationship, when she found out that Cain upgraded the suite.
Two video still frames showing Sharon Bialek’s reaction immediately after an inquiry about President Barack Obama’s political consultant David Axelrod living in the same north shore building as Sharon Bialek — she replied that she’s seen him in the building while on the way to the gym.
While Obama’s David Axelrod has been reported to have lived in the same apartment building as Sharon Bialek, another David Bialek has been involved in a Cook County Court case involving a debt collection case (2009-M1-158826) plaintiff ILLINOS LENDING AXELROD DAVID J & ASSOC vs. BIALEK SHARON.
Sharon Bialek is also reported to have been involved in a paternity petition filed on October 22, 1999, just over three years after the alleged Herman Cain unwanted sexual advances incident. The PETITION TO ESTABLISH PARENTAGE involved BIALEK SHARON vs. NAZE WEST. The paternity petition involved determining the parentage of her now 13-year-old son, and continued through 2009 with orders for family counseling, parenting courses, and child support
According to a FOX News Chicago report Monday night, Bialek is moving out of a north shore apartment into a house in Mundelein with fiance Mark Harwood — slightly strange, but Harwood is Facebook friends with West Naze, the parentage defendant. See screen shots below …
Sharon Bialek fiance Mark Harwood’s Facebook page.
Paternity defendant West Naze’s Facebook page.
Herman Cain was married at the time the alleged sexual advances occurred.
Sharon Bialek did not work for the National Restaurant Association.
Tuesday morning Fox News also brought up unconfirmed reports that Bialek embraced Cain at the WIND Chicago
Radio Tea Party Conference in Chicago. Then Tuesday afternoon FOX News interviewed Amy Jacobson, a Chicago reporter who witnessed “the hug.” Jacobson reported that Bialek was anxiously awaiting the arrival of Herman Cain and asking about his arrival time. When Cain arrived Jacobson was trying to get pictures of Cain when she said she was “bum rushed” by Sharon Bialek. Next Bialek hugged Cain and whispered in his ear. Jacobson said Bialek had a bubbly personality, which she added was probably the norm for Bialek.
Amy Jacobson grew up in Mt. Prospect, Illinois, and graduated from John Hersey High School in 1987. Amy Jacobson began work as co-host with Big John Howell on WIND (AM) on March 24, 2010. She is a former general assignment reporter for WMAQ-TV/NBC Chicago affiliate, who lost her job after a July 6, 2007 incident involving a video from competitive station WBBM/CBS Chicago affiliate that showed her in a bikini during a meeting/interview with Craig Stebic. Amy Jacobson had been covering the case Lisa Stebic, the estranged wife of Craig Stebic, who had been missing (and is still missing) since Monday April 30, 2007.
See also …
Cook County Court Case Name Search Results SHARON BIALEK
You don’t hire Gloria Allred if you’re not looking for publicity. Give it up lady, it was years ago!