Mark Block and Herman Cain have another scandal smoldering in the background
Dave Weigel
on what happened when a reporter asked Herman Cain's campaign about his
other big problem:
At National Journal's 2012 preview panel, in the caged environment of a hotel ballroom and live video, ABC News's Amy Walter asked Block if he could explain the Bice story.
"We've retained independent counsel to look at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel story and report back to us," said Block.
Walter followed up with a different version of the question.
"We've retained independent counsel to look at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel story," said Block.
Walter tried again, asking Block if he watched the books when he ran the organization.
"Amy," said Block, coldly and calmly, "why don't we talk about the campaign going forward?"
She did move on, with the allegations unanswered. So: Cain's campaign manager was once suspended from election work in Wisconsin because of election law violations. He can't or won't talk now about more possible violations. It might be better for the Cain campaign if we all focus on Politico's story.
The short version of the issue at hand is that Herman Cain's campaign apparently received startup funds from a non-profit which was then headed by Mark Block, now Cain's campaign manager. That's illegal on its face. Moreover, if Block and the campaign did anything to falsify reports to cover their tracks, then they would have been guilty not just of the original crime, but of a coverup.
If it weren't for the sexual harassment story, this would be a major communications challenge for Cain, and if he ever emerges from his current scandal, it still could become one. But given how badly Cain is botching his handling of the sexual harassment issue, by the time the facts come out about his other scandal, Republican primary voters might have already written him off. If they haven't, Block's handling of questions from Walters suggests another disaster is in the making.