Family standing behind Cain’s accuser

Mark Smith found out about his sister-in-law’s accusations against Republican presidential hopeful Herman Cain at about the same time as everyone else.

“I was driving and I heard someone say her name and that’s when I found out, like the rest of the world,” he said about 50-year-old Sharon Bialek’s claim Monday that had been sexually harassed by Cain.

Smith picked up Bialek at the airport in Chicago Tuesday after her two-day press tour in New York City ended. He had no idea about her reported encounter with Cain 14 years ago prior to Monday.

“I understand why she never brought it up before. It’s very embarrassing,” he said.

Two other women accused Cain of sexual harassment when he was CEO of the National Restaurant Association but said they could not speak publicly as a condition of financial settlements with the organization. One of them, Karen Kraushaar, spoke up Tuesday after she said an iPad news site released her name. A third woman also has said she was harassed.

While Bialek is a former employee of the restaurant lobbying group, she never made formal accusations and is not bound by any confidentiality agreements.

Smith said Bialek’s family stands behind her as more details about the single mother’s personal life are aired. Cain’s campaign has painted Bialek as someone with a history of financial and legal problems. She has filed for bankruptcy twice, with Bialek’s family saying one was a result of taking long-term care of her terminally ill mother and the second filing resulted from a protracted paternity suit.

A lawyer who represented Paula Jones in her sexual harassment suit against former President Bill Clinton in the 1990s said people who speak up in such cases usually risk attacks on their own reputations.

“Somebody who comes forward and subjects themselves to public scrutiny should not be treated in that fashion,” said lawyer Joseph Cammarata, based in Washington, D.C.

“She didn’t bring a lawsuit. She didn’t call him up asking for money to keep quiet. She didn’t seek a book deal,” he said of Bialek.

Smith would not speculate on Bialek’s next move, but reiterated his support of the woman he’s known for over three decades.

“I’m very proud of her for standing up,” he said. “It took somebody strong. She’s a much better person than I’ll ever be.”