Cain says Forbes concluded Perry camp was source of harassment leak

Herman Cain said Forbes Magazine - and not his campaign - was responsible for the concluding that Rick Perry's campaign leaked the story of sexual harassment allegations during Cain's tenure as the president of the National Restaurant Association.

"A reporter did this research and came up with these facts, we didn't," Cain said Thursday on Sean Hannity's radio show. "That was the reporter that wrote the report for Forbes."

But despite adamant denials from the Perry camp, Cain said he still doesn't "see any other way this could have come out."

The Forbes article, headlined "Cain Says Perry Camp Behind Sex Harassment Leak," quoted the candidate as saying that he told former staffer Curt Anderson, now a consultant for the Perry campaign, about the allegations. But Cain is not quoted specifically accusing Anderson of being the leak.

The Cain campaign quickly seized on the article Wednesday night, seemingly validating Forbes' reporting that Cain was laying blame at Perry's feet.

"‪Rick Perry needs to apologize to Herman Cain, his family, and America for this despicable story‬," Cain's chief of staff Mark Block said Wednesday on Fox News.

Anderson has denied the accusations, saying in a statement: "I have great respect for Herman and his character and I would never speak ill of him, on the record or off the record."

He also told Fox News that any reporters he had ever spoken to about the Cain allegations were free to openly attribute those comments to him. In doing so, he opened up the door for Politico, who originally reported the allegations, to confirm him as the source. Politico has not done so, effectively eliminating Anderson as the source of the story.

Block said earlier Thursday that he would "accept" the claim by Anderson that he was not behind the story.

"Until we get all the facts, I'm just going to say that we accept what Mr. Anderson has said, and we want to move on with the campaign," Block said on Fox News.

But Cain seemed unconvinced, telling Hannity "there aren't enough breadcrumbs that leads us to any other place."

"I believe a lot of people are connecting the dots for themselves," Cain said. "I don't see any other way this could have come out."

Cain also said he's "almost certain" he told Anderson about the allegations.

"I am almost certain that I did. … This is why we want to get off this merry-go-round," Cain said.

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