Cain campaign assails accuser Bialek

But, behind the scenes, the campaign appeared to hunker down in damage-control mode; voicemails for Gordon and campaign manager Mark Block were full by mid-afternoon.

Aides made it clear he would fight the allegations, casting them as baseless and seeking to undermine the credibility of Bialek and her attorney.

"The questions the media should be asking are who's paying for Gloria Allred's fee, how did Ms. Bialek get introduced to Ms. Allred, and was she paid to come forward with these false accusations or was she promised employment?" a campaign statement said.

Allred has said Bialek approached her and that she received no compensation for stepping forward.

Bialek appeared in interviews Tuesday on ABC's "Good Morning America," CBS' "The Early Show," NBC's "Today" show and CNN.

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Associated Press writers Steve Peoples in New Hampshire and Jim Davenport in South Carolina contributed to this report

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