In a growing tweet storm, Democratic senators were calling Wednesday (Dec. 6) for the resignation of Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.) after a seventh woman accused him of sexual misconduct.
Al Franken should resign.
— Claire McCaskill (@clairecmc) December 6, 2017
Sexual harassment and misconduct should not be allowed by anyone and should not occur anywhere. I believe the best thing for Senator Franken to do is step down.
— Kamala Harris (@SenKamalaHarris) December 6, 2017
I agree with my colleagues who have stepped forward today and called on Senator Franken to resign. We can’t just believe women when it’s convenient.
— Senator Bob Casey (@SenBobCasey) December 6, 2017
Franken denied the latest allegation, according to Politico, though he has apologized for conduct he has conceded was inappropriate, saying he would have to rebuild the trust of his constituents.
Franken's office tweeted the following, without elaboration.
Senator Franken will be making an announcement tomorrow. More details to come.
— Sen. Al Franken (@SenFranken) December 6, 2017
The senator is under investigation by the Ethics Committee, an investigation he supported himself, and under pressure to step down--which he has resisted--particularly after Sen. John Conyers (D-Mich.) exited this week in the wake of multiple sexual harassment allegations.
Wednesday also saw yet another allegation, published in The Atlantic.
Also renewing its call for his resignation was women's advocacy group UltaViolet. "“We believe women. We believe the now seven women who have accused Senator Franken of sexual assault and harassment. It’s long past time that all Senate Democrats believed women, stood with survivors and joined the call for Senator Franken to resign," said Nita Chaudhary, co-founder of the group.
Related: Democracy For America Pushes For Franken, Conyers Resignations
Franken, as a senator, has been a champion of privacy rights and protecting battered women from being stalked via their smart devices. He has also been one of the most vocal opponents of media consolidation, including of his own former employer NBC--he was a writer and cast member on Saturday Night Live. The allegations of touching and attempted kisses date from when Franken was a comedian.
He was elected to the Senate in 2008, where he beat the incumbent Republican, Norm Coleman, by a handful of votes. He was not seated until midyear-2009 following various recounts. Franken, who was re-elected handily in 2014, has become one of the leading progressive voices in the Senate, and a big fund-raiser given his high profile beyond Washington.
