The Chicago area woman who publicly accused Republican presidential candidate Herman Cain of sexual harassment said she didn't come forward to make money or sell her story.
Court records show Sharon Bialek, raised in Chicago and living in Mundelein with fiancé Mark Harwood, has a history of financial troubles, including personal bankruptcy. But she told the Today Show on Tuesday her finances have "absolutely" nothing to do with her motivation to detail her encounter with Cain.
"There were no skeletons in my closet," Bialek said, adding she told attorney Gloria Allred her finances may come up in the media. "This isn't about me," she said. "I'm not the one running for president."
The Cain campaign, which responded publicily to the accusation on Tuesday, believes she is working to profit from her new found stardom.
"Who is Sharon Bialek?" Cain's advisers asked in a statement outlining the Chicago-area woman's "long and troubled history, from the courts to personal finances."
Bialek on Monday alleged Cain harassed her 14 years ago while she visited Washington, D.C. to discuss a job with him at the National Restaurant Association.
She told CNN her son helped persuade her to come forward. She said the 13-year-old told her to do the right thing and "tell on" Cain.
Cain called the accusations "totally fabricated" Monday during an appearance on ABC's "Jimmy Kimmel Live."
