After Franken Accuser No. 7, Democrats Tell Him to Go

More than a dozen Democratic senators have called for Franken to step down
By Newser Editors,  Newser Staff
Posted Dec 6, 2017 10:15 AM CST
Updated Dec 6, 2017 12:57 PM CST
Another Woman Accuses Al Franken
Sen. Al Franken, D-Minn., pauses while speaking to the media on Capitol Hill on Nov. 27.   (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

The heat is intensifying on Al Franken. After another woman, the seventh, came forward with allegations, Kirsten Gillibrand and other female Democratic senators called on him to resign Tuesday, reports the Washington Post. "While Senator Franken is entitled to have the Ethics Committee conclude its review, I believe it would be better for our country if he sent a clear message that any kind of mistreatment of women in our society isn't acceptable by stepping aside to let someone else serve," Gillibrand wrote in a statement on Facebook. Senators including Mazie Hirono, Claire McCaskill, and Maggie Hassan quickly followed suit. Here's what else you need to know:

  • As of this writing, 16 Democratic senators—10 women and six men—have called on Franken to resign, including Sen. Patty Murray of Washington state, the Senate's highest ranking woman, CNN reports.
  • As calls for his resignation swelled, Franken's office announced the senator will make a statement on Thursday, the Los Angeles Times reports.

  • Thomas Perez, the chairman of the Democratic National Committee, has also called on Franken to resign, according to the Hill. "Everyone must share the responsibility of building a culture of trust and respect for women in every industry and workplace, and that includes our party," Perez tweeted.
  • Franken's newest accuser tells Politico he tried to force her to kiss him when she visited his radio show with her boss in 2006. She says Franken told her it was his "right as an entertainer" when she ducked his kiss. She drew a comparison to President Trump's comments in the infamous Access Hollywood tape.
  • In a statement to the Minneapolis Star Tribune, Franken calls the new allegation "categorically not true" and "preposterous."
  • While Sen. Elizabeth Warren was not among the senators to release a public call for Franken's resignation, an aide tells the Boston Globe that Warren personally told Franken to resign. “She thinks he should resign and had told him that privately," the aide says.
  • Doug Jones, currently running against Roy Moore for senate in Alabama, also says he thinks Franken should resign, WIAT reporter Leigh Garner tweets. Moore is facing multiple accusations of sexual misconduct, including with underage girls.
(More Al Franken stories.)

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