Cain denies allegations of 13-year affair

WILLIAMS: Good evening.

BRIAN WILLIAMS, anchor: The Iowa caucuses are 36 days away. The GOP field is very scattered, and as of tonight things just got tougher for a candidate who's been surging ahead in a lot of the polls despite already battling some very tough accusations. Herman Cain today did something unusual. He used a live TV interview to warn that new charges were coming out about his personal life, and then they did when an Atlanta TV station aired the story. A woman has gone public over what she says was a 13-year consensual affair. She says she wanted to control her own story rather than having it get out. Herman Cain is denying the story, vowing to knock down every detail. And his lawyer is reminding everyone this time it's not a sexual harassment allegation. It's where we begin tonight with NBC 's Lisa Myers in our Washington newsroom on the still breaking details. Lisa , good evening.

LISA MYERS reporting: Good evening, Brian . The latest accuser is an Atlanta businesswoman, Ginger White , who told station WAGA in Atlanta that she'd had an of-and-on-again affair with Herman Cain for 13 years. She says he flew her around the country and put her up in expensive hotels. And as proof of the relationship, she produced phone records of dozens of calls and text messages to Cain 's phone.

Ms. GINGER WHITE: It's pretty simple. It wasn't complicated. And I was aware that he was married. And I was also aware that I was involved in a very inappropriate situation, relationship.

MYERS: Even before the report, Cain went on CNN to deny the allegation.

Mr. WOLF BLITZER: Did you have a 13-year affair with this woman?

Mr. HERMAN CAIN: No. I did not.

Mr. BLITZER: Did you know her for 13 years?

Mr. CAIN: Yes. But I did not have an affair. I acknowledge that I knew the woman. I acknowledge that I've known her for about that period of time. But the accusation that I had a 13-year affair with her, no.

MYERS: Cain 's lawyer issued a statement saying this is "an accusation of private, alleged consensual conduct between adults, a subject matter which is not a proper subject of inquiry by the media or the public." Brian , the lawyer also says Mr. Cain has discussed the new accusation with his wife. He does not say how Mrs. Cain reacted.

WILLIAMS: All right, Lisa Myers in our DC newsroom with that story tonight. Lisa , thanks.