Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) on Thursday afternoon called for the Senate Ethics Committee to investigate the sexual misconduct allegations against Sen. Al Franken (D-MN).
“Sexual harassment is never acceptable and must not be tolerated,” Schumer said in a statement. “I hope and expect that the Ethics Committee will fully investigate this troubling incident, as they should with any credible allegation of sexual harassment.”
Los Angeles news anchor Leeann Tweeden on Thursday accused Franken of forcibly kissing and groping her in 2006 while the two were in the Middle East for a United Service Organizations tour.
Franken apologized in a statement on Thursday, but said he remembered the incident differently than Tweeden. The alleged incidents occurred before Frank held public office. Franken has asked for the Senate Ethics Committee to investigate the allegations. He said he would fully cooperate with a probe.
Well. This is as it should be.
If the goal is to establish the template for all such investigations going forward, then this is a very good move.
This may be unpopular, but here goes:
if it happened before serving as a representative, senator, president etc., let the voters decide.
if it happened while in office, then the House, Senate etc can get involved.
Al Franken votes for the things I think are important. That’s is why, at least to me, this is very unfortunate. I have no opinion about the Senator beyond his power to support good policy. Making politics personal is always a mistake. He has admitted to acting in an improper manner and has to face the consequences. Losing his vote worries me not the fact that he is the one casting it.
Dear Republicans, Please take note: this is a teaching moment. This is how a ‘leader’ responds to such an accusation of a member of his own party.