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Al Franken Resigns From the Senate


Following multiple allegations of sexual harassment—and calls from numerous Senate Democrats to resign from his seat—Senator Al Franken (D-Minn.) announced on Thursday that he would be stepping down “in the coming weeks.”

At least six women have come forward to accuse Franken of unwanted groping or kissing. On Wednesday, dozens of his fellow Democratic senators called on Franken to resign, with Senators Kirsten Gillibrand of New York, Kamala Harris of California, Mazie Hirono of Hawaii, and Claire McCaskill of Missouri being the first lawmakers to do so.

Appearing on the Senate floor, Franken began his emotional speech first by addressing the Me Too movement and stating that “all women deserve to be heard.” Though Franken has previously apologized for some of the accusations, he did not offer an explicit apology in his address and said that he remembered some of the allegations differently than the women.

As his speech continued, Franken offered a pointed reminder of the sexual assault allegations that have been brought forward against President Donald Trump, as well as the women who have come forward accusing Alabama Senate candidate Roy Moore of sexual abuse.

“I am aware that there is some irony in the fact that I am leaving while a man who has bragged on tape about his history of sexual assault sits in the Oval Office and a man who repeatedly preyed on young girls campaigns for the Senate with the full support of his party,” Franken said. “But this decision is not about me. It’s about the people of Minnesota.”

Though Franken will be exiting the Senate, he noted that his dedication to public service is not over.

“Let me be clear. I may be resigning my seat, but I am not giving up my voice,” Franken said. “I will continue to stand up for the things I believe in as a citizen and as an activist. Minnesotans deserve a senator who can focus with all her energy on addressing the challenges they face every day.”

As Franken left the Senate floor, many of his fellow Democrats could be seen “sniffling or openly sobbing,” according to CNN. And in a phone call to the network, Leeann Tweeden—the first woman to accuse Franken of sexual harassment—called the situation “lose-lose.”

“I’m not celebrating his resignation. It’s a lose-lose situation,” Tweeden said. “I’m not celebrating his resignation but we also can’t tolerate hypocrisy. We can’t have our leaders saying one thing and doing another.”





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Al Franken Apologizes—Again: 'I Feel Terribly That I’ve Made Some Women Feel Badly'


Earlier this week, the Huffington Post reported that two more women have accused Minnesota senator and former SNL star Al Franken of touching them inappropriately. This comes on the heels of allegations from radio host Leeann Tweeden, who shared the now-infamous photo of Franken seemingly groping her breasts during a USO tour in 2006. Franken subsequently issued an apology to Tweeden. On Monday, another woman, Lindsay Menz said that Franken groped her at a state fair in 2010.

Franken has already stated that he would comply with an ethics investigation in the Senate and has offered no indication that he is going to resign. But after this week’s new allegations, he issued another apology on Thursday via a statement to his home state’s Star-Tribune. Franken said in the statement that he’s a “warm person” and “hugs people,” but adds that recent stories have given him fresh insight into how his actions may have been received, saying that he “crossed a line for some women.” He goes on to express that he “feels terribly” that he made some women feel badly and wants to make sure that it never happens again, adding that he hope to regain the trust of Minnesotans.

It remains to be seen if he can make that happen. A recent Politico/Morning Consult poll showed that half of voters think that Franken should resign and 66 percent believe that the Senate Ethics Committee should investigate the matter.

Franken’s full statement is below:

*I’ve met tens of thousands of people and taken thousands of photographs, often in crowded and chaotic situations. I’m a warm person; I hug people. I’ve learned from recent stories that in some of those encounters, I crossed a line for some women — and I know that any number is too many.

Some women have found my greetings or embraces for a hug or photo inappropriate, and I respect their feelings about that. I’ve thought a lot in recent days about how that could happen, and recognize that I need to be much more careful and sensitive in these situations. I feel terribly that I’ve made some women feel badly and for that I am so sorry, and I want to make sure that never happens again.

And let me say again to Minnesotans that I’m sorry for putting them through this and I’m committed to regaining their trust.*

Related Stories:
–A Second Woman Has Accused Senator Al Franken of Inappropriate Touching
–Al Franken’s Female ‘SNL’ Colleagues Wrote a Letter to ‘Stand Up’ for Him
–7 Quotes That Perfectly Explain Night One of the DNC





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Al Franken's Female 'SNL' Colleagues Wrote a Letter to 'Stand Up' for Him


Less than a week after Lena Dunham had to apologize for defending Girls writer Murray Miller against accusations of sexual assault, 36 women from former Saturday Night Live casts have written a letter in support of senator Al Franken.

The senator and SNL alum was accused of alleged sexual harassment and groping by radio host Leeann Tweeden last week, who also shared a photo of Franken grinning while groping her. A few days later, another woman, Lindsay Menz, came forward claiming he grabbed her at a state fair during a photo, including a picture of the alleged exchange. Franken has since apologized to Tweeden and called for an ethics investigation, while telling CNN he does not recall the incident with Menz, but feels badly about her feeling “disrespected.”

Now, the senator’s female colleagues from SNL have written a letter supporting him, saying he never sexually harassed them and applauding him for his apology to Tweeden. It reads:

We feel compelled to stand up for Al Franken, whom we have all had the
pleasure of working with over the years on Saturday Night Live (SNL).

What Al did was stupid and foolish, and we think it was appropriate
for him to apologize to Ms. Tweeden, and to the public. In our
experience, we know Al as a devoted and dedicated family man, a
wonderful comedic performer, and an honorable public servant. That is
why we are moved to quickly and directly affirm that after years of
working with him, we would like to acknowledge that not one of us ever
experienced any inappropriate behavior; and mention our sincere
appreciation that he treated each of us with the utmost respect and
regard.

We send our support and gratitude to Al and his family this
Thanksgiving and holiday season.

The letter is signed by 36 women who include former SNL writers, production assistants, producers, and cast members. Although NBC made the letter public on Monday morning, it’s already been harshly criticized. Twitter users have particularly zoomed in on the section about “inappropriate behavior,” saying that Franken not harassing his colleagues doesn’t preclude him from harassing someone else. Others have compared the letter to Dunham’s defense of Miller and the slew of female Fox News anchors who defended Roger Ailes, who resigned following allegations of sexual harassment.





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