Cain raised $250,000 on Monday amid sexual harassment claims

Herman Cain's presidential campaign raised one quarter of a million dollars on Monday, just as sexual harassment allegations swirled about the candidate and his campaign was forced into its most defensive position to date.

"It was one of our best fundraising days ever," campaign manager Mark Block said Tuesday, adding that Cain's economic message and outsider status were clearly resonating across the United States.

Cain said Monday he had never sexually harassed anyone in his life, dismissing a report in Politico claiming that two women who worked for Cain while he headed the National Restaurant Association had received financial settlements in connection with harassment complaints against Cain.

“Done. Move on,” Block said Tuesday at an elections forum hosted by National Journal. “Let's talk about what the American people want to hear about, and that's jobs, jobs, jobs.”

Cain also dodged new allegations that have emerged about potentially illegal donations to the campaign from a charity that Block founded. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported that the campaign owes Prosperity USA about $40,000 for footing the bill for expenses, in possible violation of federal law.

Block said the campaign would respond to the allegations accordingly, repeatedly declining to comment further.

Asked which candidate would be able to break through as the alternative to Mitt Romney, Block turned the tables.

"Shouldn't the question really be, 'Who will rise to challenge Herman Cain?'?" he asked.

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