Sen. Leahy: ‘I Regret’ Urging Franken To Resign Before Ethics Committee Probe

Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., center, joined by Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., left, speaks to reporters after Senate Republicans derailed President Barack Obama's selection of Georgetow... Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., center, joined by Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., left, speaks to reporters after Senate Republicans derailed President Barack Obama's selection of Georgetown University law professor Cornelia Pillard to fill one of three vacancies on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, at the Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2013. Democrats used the vote to assail Republicans for opposing female nominees to the D.C. circuit. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) MORE LESS
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Sen. Pat Leahy (D-VT) said on Monday that he regrets not waiting for the Senate Ethics Committee to investigate sexual misconduct allegations made against Sen. Al Franken (D-MN) before calling on Franken to resign.

“I have stood for due process throughout my years as a prosecutor and in chairing the Judiciary Committee.  I regret not doing that this time.  The Ethics Committee should have been allowed to investigate and make its recommendation,” Leahy said in a statement.

Leahy initially urged Franken to step down on the same day that several female Democrats led a wave of senators to call on Franken to step down over the allegations that he groped or forcibly kissed several women.

“While the facts from case to case can differ, and while there are sound reasons for weighing evidence in such cases in a deliberate and carefully considered process, Senator Franken’s situation has become untenable,” Leahy said at the time. “I am concerned that even a prompt Ethics Committee investigation and recommendations will not come soon enough. He has to step aside.”

The day after several Democratic senators called on Franken to resign, he announced that he would step down, though he has yet to set an exact date.

Leahy’s public statement on Monday followed a comment from Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) that it was premature to push Franken to resign and a Politico report that Leahy told Franken in private that he regretted calling on him to resign.

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  1. Yeah, well, I guess you should have thought of that earlier.

  2. Something is afoot.
    So, how about instead of resigning, they make Al work on and implement the sexual harassment courses soon to be required for congress? Will THAT fix it for ya lady Dem Senators?
    I hope he stays no matter what.

  3. There needs to be a retirement age for US Senators and Reps…limit them to retire by age 70! We have too many senile old white men stuck in office thanks to gerrymandering and rigging the Russian voting system.

    Leahy needs to retire…as do all the others over age 70. This will also make sure they don’t cut Medicare for seniors…take away their very very generous special employee retirement benefits and let them depend on Medicare and the system won’t get cut.

    Under the current system, and there is no personal incentive to make sure Suzie Collins isn’t lying to Maine.

  4. Yeah, fuck off Leahy. You failed your role as a member of a deliberative body by knee-jerking off and destroying a guy who had a future in American politics.

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