Filed by KOSU News in Politics.
December 5, 2011

His own campaign now scrubbed because of the toll from allegations about sexual harassment and an affair, businessman Herman Cain will today endorse former House Speaker Newt Gingrich’s bid for the 2012 Republican presidential nomination, sources tell Fox 5 News in Atlanta.

That’s the same news outlet that last week broke the story that brought the Cain train to a halt — an Atlanta woman’s claim that she had a 13-year-long affair with the one-time CEO of Godfather’s Pizza. Cain has said he knows the woman, Ginger White, and helped her financially. But he says they did not have an affair. He has also said allegations from at least two women about alleged sexual harassment when he was head of the National Restaurant Association are also untrue.

Cain announced on Saturday that he was suspending his campaign — effectively ending his run. He cited the strain that the stories about his personal life were having on his family and the campaign’s ability to raise money.

The Hill says that Gingrich would not comment Sunday evening when asked about the Fox 5 Atlanta report.

The Washington Post’s Election 2012 blog reports that:

“A Gingrich aide refused to comment. A Cain aide described Gingrich and Cain as ‘good friends,’ dating back to Gingrich’s days as speaker of the House and Cain’s time at the helm of the National Restaurant Association. The aide said an ‘endorsement announcement is coming soon.’ but also declined to say who Cain … might back.”

Gingrich has risen to the top of several recent polls about the race for the Republican presidential nomination.

It’s All Politics follows the 2012 presidential news here. [Copyright 2011 National Public Radio]