Cain's Wife Didn't Know He Was Giving Ginger White Money

Cain's Wife Didn't Know He Was Giving Ginger White Money

Herman Cain gave Ginger White money to pay for her "month-to-month bills and expenses" without telling his wife, he explained to the New Hampshire Union-Leader's editorial board Thursday, but she understands. Gloria Cain didn't know the two were "friends" until White told an Atlanta TV station that she'd had a 13-year affair with Cain that ended in March, John DiStaso reports. Despite the shock that Mrs. Cain must have experienced this week, Cain isn't meeting with her face-to-face till Friday, when he says she'll have the final say over whether he should continue his presidential campaign. But by phone, apparently, Cain says she's "comfortable with the explanation that I told her... My wife understands that I'm a soft-hearted giving person."

RELATED: 96 Hours on the Cain Merry-Go-Round

Cain told the newspaper that White was unemployed "and that quite frankly, I was the only person who was a friend at the time - and I underscore ‘friend' - that was in a position to help her." The Republican candidate referred to the many text messages between the two; Cain said she'd ask for money, and he'd respond asking if she'd tried to get a job. The text message he was referring to are being sought by his lawyer, Lin Wood, who says that between October 22 and November 18, the pair exchanged 70 texts, and 17 were from Cain to White, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution's Ernie Suggs and Bill Torpy report. Wood told the newspaper he thinks White's texts were probably demanding money from Cain, and asking for her records are a way to "test her credibility and motive." But wouldn't Cain have those records too? “Maintain common sense,” Wood told the Journal-Constitution. The lawyer has already insisted that Cain's paying of White's rent and car payments are somehow evidence that they weren't sleeping together. That would mean Cain was the ultimate unicorn -- a rich dude willing to pay a young woman's bills without demanding sexual favors in return. This creature has never been photographed in the wild but perhaps Cain is the first.

RELATED: The Herman Cain Glossary

Cain told the Union Leader he had a theory: "But I have very strong speculation that someone offered [White] a lot of money... I was helping her with month-to-month bills and expenses and somebody -- this is speculation only -- offered her a lot of money." That follows the "hypothesis" he offered Wednesday on Fox News, when he said that Democrats wanted Newt Gingrich to the be Republican presidential nominee so they could attack his personal life in the general election -- and to do that, they had to destroy him through personal attacks in the primary. Cain has been interviewed 63 times on Fox News since he announced his presidential campaign -- the most of any candidate -- and though these interviews have not always served him well, Cain is determined to keep giving them. The Union Leader promises more news -- and video -- from the meeting will be posted later Thursday evening.