Liberal colleagues of disgraced Democratic Senator Al Franken are urging the left-wing lawmaker to reconsider his decision to resign from Congress; saying he should instead “go through the process” outlined by the Senate’s Ethics Committee.
Fellow Sen. Joe Manchin, a centrist Democrat, made the surprise remarks just days after Franken announced he would resign in the “coming weeks” after multiple women came forward and accused the legislator of forcibly “grabbing” or “kissing” them against their permission.
“I definitely think he should not resign,” said Manchin. “I think Al Franken should go through the process of what he’s asked for — due process… I believe that we should have a process to where women can come out and be protected when they have been violated and they should be able to state that and be protected in doing it, and I believe a person that’s been accused ought to have a process that we can investigate thoroughly, and whatever the findings are be prosecuted or be removed or found innocent of those charges.”
Franken announced his decision to step-down from the Senate on December 7th, saying he was “deeply ashamed” of his actions but also insisting “some” of the allegations were untrue.
“[It’s] just unbelievable to me how you can destroy a human being’s life and his family and everything that they stand for without giving him a chance. … Everybody’s caught up [with] who’s going to outdo the other, and it’s just ridiculous,” Manchin added.
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Franken was thrust into the national spotlight this week after news anchor Leeann Tweeden publicly accused the prominent Democrat of forcefully kissing her and groping her while she slept.
The two were on a region-wide tour of the Middle East as part of a comedy series aimed to entertain American service members.
Franken QUITS SENATE Over Multiple Sex Scandals
Disgraced liberal lawmaker Al Franken resigned from the United State Senate on Thursday, stepping down after multiple women came forward and accused the legislator of inappropriate sexual misconduct.
Franken announced his resignation during a speech on the floor of the Senate, saying he plans to quit in the “coming weeks.
“I will be resigning as a member of the United States Senate”
“Today I am announcing that in the coming weeks I will be resigning as a member of the United States Senate,” said the Senator.
“I, of all people, am aware that there’s some irony that I am leaving while a man who’s bragged on tape about his history of sexual assault sits in the Oval Office, and that a man who preys on young girls campaigns for the Senate with the full support of his party,” he added.
Franken’s fall from grace began weeks ago, when a news anchor publicly accused the Senator of forcibly kissing and groping her while the two toured the Middle East. Days later, multiple women came forward and accused the legislator of inappropriately “grabbing” them while taking photographs.