Second woman says US Republican candidate pressured her to have abortion

A second woman has claimed that a high-profile Republican running for election on an anti-abortion platform pressured her to terminate her pregnancy several years ago.

The woman said that Herschel Walker, the Republican party candidate for the US Senate in the state of Georgia, drove her to a clinic and waited in the car park while she had the procedure.

Mr Walker, a one-time football star in Georgia who has the backing of former president Donald Trump, has expressed strong opposition to abortion in his election campaign.

On Wednesday he rejected the new allegation, which has not been independently verified by media in the United States.

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At a press conference in Los Angeles the woman, who was not identified and who did not show her face on camera, said she had an affair with Mr Walker beginning in 1987 when he was married. She said the abortion was carried out in April 1993.

Mr Walker had previously been accused of paying for an abortion for another woman. He has also strongly denied that allegation.

[ Maureen Dowd: Republican backing for Herschel Walker proof they accept anything for power ]

On Wednesday lawyer Gloria Allred said her client, who was introduced as “Jane Doe”, began a relationship with Mr Walker in 1987 .

Ms Allred said that in 1993 her client became pregnant and when she told Mr Walker he “clearly wanted her to have an abortion and convinced her to do so”. She said her client maintained that Mr Walker had given her money to pay for an abortion.

“Jane Doe”, who did not appear before cameras but read an emotional statement to reporters, said she was confused and afraid and could not go through with the termination. She said she left the clinic in tears.

She said Mr Walker later drove her back to the clinic and waited in the car park until the procedure was carried out.

The woman said she felt she had been pressurised into having an abortion. “I do not believe that Herschel Walker is morally fit to be a US senator”, she said.

[ American football exploits trump controversial past for Herschel Walker ]

The woman said she was an independent who had voted on two occasions for Donald Trump.

Ms Allred showed cards, photographs and receipts which, she maintained, supported the story of her client. She also played a voice recording purporting to be from Mr Walker to the woman.

There was no evidence provided to show that Mr Walker had urged her to end her pregnancy after she had initially left the abortion clinic.

Mr Walker is involved in a tough contest with sitting Democrat senator Raphel Warnock in an election to be held early in November.

Rejecting the new allegation, he said: “I’m done with this foolishness. I’ve already told people this is a lie and I’m not going to entertain it.”