Gloria Allred: ‘Many women contacted me’ pre-Trump tape

Lawyer Gloria Allred says she was hearing accusations of sexual misconduct against Donald Trump before the 2005 recording emerged of him speaking crudely about women.

“I knew, as soon as I heard those words, the denial in the debate, that women would start contacting me and want to come forward,” she said in an interview with The Guardian published Thursday.

{mosads}”Actually, many women contacted me even prior to the release of the ‘Access Hollywood’ tape,” Allred continued. “They just wanted me to know what Mr. Trump had done.”

The tape captured Trump, now the GOP nominee for president, speaking to the celebrity news show’s host about being able to grope women without their consent because he was famous.

Allred said she is currently vetting multiple people who accuse the GOP presidential nominee of inappropriate sexual behavior, telling the news outlet there are “many” accusers.

“We have spoken to individuals who are potential witnesses, who corroborate that at approximately the time or at some point after the incident occurred, not long thereafter, they actually told one or more people about what happened,” Allred added of establishing accusers’ credibility.

Allred additionally rejected critics who say Trump’s accusers are hoping to capitalize on the billionaire’s celebrity.

“It’s hard to think of anyone who wants fame more than Mr. Trump,” she said.

“But I don’t call him an attention-seeker,” added Allred, who backs Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton. “I just call him a bully.

Eleven women have come forward since the 2005 tape emerged this month to accuse Trump of groping or kissing them without their permission. Allred represents three of the accusers, with the most recent being adult film actress Jessica Drake.

The lawyer also works on behalf of yoga teacher and lifestyle coach Karena Virginia and Summer Zervos, a former contestant on Trump’s reality television show “The Apprentice,” who have also accused Trump of sexual misconduct.