Cain Cites Perry for Harassment Story Leaders Want Explained http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/g/a/2011/11/03/bloomberg_articlesLU34IJ6K50YH.DTL

As Cain was pressed to disclose more about his past, a picture emerged of the former chief executive of Godfather’s Pizza operating in a free-wheeling, free-spending culture during his 1996-99 tenure as chief executive officer of the restaurant association.

Former employees of the association told Bloomberg News that work-related outings frequently featured heavy drinking as lobbyists entertained board members and lawmakers.

Cain was known for lavish spending, they said, racking up cell phone and travel bills that drew accountants’ attention and angered some board members. He won over employees by giving generous raises to many, said three people who worked for or with the group and spoke on condition of anonymity.

Update: The story changes once again…

Politico reported Thursday that one of the women who accused Cain of sexual harassment during his time at the National Restaurant Association received a payout of $45,000 to settle the matter and keep quiet.

Previously, the New York Times reported that a second woman received a severance of $35,000—which for her was a year’s salary.

The Politico report would seem to again put Cain’s credibility at issue. He has said the woman’s complaint is one that he recalls, but has described it as “baseless” and first said she received a negligible “termination” settlement of perhaps two or three months’ salary.

He later shifted his account, saying the amount could have been larger, up to six months.

I don’t know if shunned remembers American Beauty and/or Fight Club, but it usually takes something fairly significant to get a year’s wages as severance.