Democrats line up to call for Al Franken’s resignation; senator plans ‘announcement’ Thursday
Democratic senators are urging Sen. Al Franken to resign amid sexual misconduct allegations.
After the resignation calls, Franken’s office said the senator would make an announcement on Thursday.
The Minnesota Democrat vehemently denies the latest accusation against him — by a woman who says he tried to forcibly kiss her in 2006.
Another woman accuses Al Franken of misconduct from CNBC.
- Eighteen Democratic senators and the DNC chief urged Sen. Al Franken to resign Wednesday following the latest sexual misconduct allegation against him.
- After the resignation calls, Franken’s office said the senator would make an “announcement” on Thursday. It didn’t elaborate.
Senator Franken will be making an announcement tomorrow. More details to come.
— Sen. Al Franken (@SenFranken) December 6, 2017
- Earlier Wednesday, Politico reported that a former Democratic congressional aide is accusing the Minnesota Democrat of forcibly trying to kiss her 11 years ago,adding to a string of allegations against him.In a statement before the calls for his resignation started, Franken denied the latest accusation against him.In a succession of statements Wednesday, 18 of Franken’s Senate Democratic colleagues — nearly a third of the party’s caucus — pushed for him to step down. Among them were Dick Durbin of Illinois and Patty Murray of Washington, the second and third-ranking Senate Democrats, respectively.
Democratic National Committee Chairman Tom Perez also tweeted that Franken should step down.
Here are the Democratic senators, mostly women, who have called for him to step down:
- Dick Durbin on Illinois
- Patty Murray of Washington
- Kirsten Gillibrand of New York
- Mazie Hirono of Hawaii
- Claire McCaskill of Missouri
- Maggie Hassan of New Hampshire
- Kamala Harris of California
- Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin
- Debbie Stabenow of Michigan
- Bob Casey of Pennsylvania
- Joe Donnelly of Indiana
- Sherrod Brown of Ohio
- Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota
- Ed Markey of Massachusetts
- Michael Bennet of Colorado
- Patrick Leahy of Vermont
- Maria Cantwell of Washington
- Dianne Feinstein of California
In addition, Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, also said Franken should resign.
In the statements, the senators used words like “egregious” and “unacceptable” to describe Franken’s behavior.
The unidentified former aide who spoke to Politico said the incident took place after a taping of Franken’s radio show, before he was a senator.
“‘It’s my right as an entertainer,'” the woman says Franken told her after she avoided his kiss.
In response to the claim, Franken said: “This allegation is categorically not true and the idea that I would claim this as my right as an entertainer is preposterous. I look forward to fully cooperating with the ongoing ethics committee investigation.”
Four Democratic senators call for Sen. Al Franken to resign from CNBC.
Four Democratic senators call for Sen. Al Franken to resign
Franken is among multiple members of Congress who have faced harassment accusations recently. Rep. John Conyers, D-Mich., stepped down Tuesday after more than 50 years in Congress following former staffers’ allegations of misconduct.
The push for Franken’s resignation also comes as ex-judge Roy Moore runs for Senate in Alabama amid allegations of sexual misconduct with teenagers when he was in his 30s decades ago.
Time magazine on Wednesday named “The Silence Breakers” — those who have come forward with their stories about being victims of pervasive sexual harassment — as 2017 Person of the Year.
Source: CNBC
