WASHINGTON (AP) – A woman accusing Alabama Senate candidate Roy Moore of initiating sexual contact when she was 14 said Monday she wanted to confront him years ago but didn’t because he was powerful and the encounter gutted her self-confidence. She said she came forward to tell her story only after other women agreed to.
The declaration by Leigh Corfman comes after Moore’s supporters claimed without evidence that reporters were offering thousands of dollars to women for accusations. The state election is being closely watched, as several GOP senators have called Moore to drop out, and President Donald Trump remains mostly quiet on the issue.
Corfman said she was “absolutely not” paid to tell her story publicly.
“My bank account has not flourished,” Corfman told NBC’s “Today” show. “If anything it’s gone down because I’m not working.”
Corfman said Moore’s stature in Alabama – he was a noted attorney who went on to become a powerful judge – prevented her from coming forward years ago. But, she says, she did confide in close friends immediately after the incident and told family members later as an adult.