Herman Cain's official press-conference response to Sharon Bialek's allegation that he sexually harassed her isn't scheduled until 5 p.m., but his campaign has already taken new aim at his boldest accuser by detailing her history of lawsuits and bankruptcy in an email blast.

The missive points to Bialek's "long and troubled history, from the courts to personal finances," which, it claims, "may help explain why she has come forward 14 years after an alleged incident with Mr. Cain."

After touching on Bialek's employment, legal, and financial troubles, the Cain-camp email concludes: "The questions should be – who is financing her legal team, have any media agreed to pay for her story, and has she been offered employment for taking these actions."

The initial response is pretty easy, notes Slate's Dave Weigel: Allred is working for free and nobody paid for the story. Bialek said on NBC's Today show that she expected an attack on her credibility: "I told her that this may come up and I expected this. This is — this is what happens. It’s not about me. I’m not the one running for president," The New York Times quoted her as saying.

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Adam Martin