Warren Reportedly Calling on Franken to Resign From Senate, But Won’t Comment Publicly

Printed from: https://newbostonpost.com/2017/12/06/warren-reportedly-calling-on-franken-to-resign-from-senate-but-wont-comment-publicly/

A growing chorus of Democratic members of the United States Senate are now publicly calling on their embattled colleague from Minnesota, former comedian Al Franken, to resign from his post, and according to the Boston Globe, an aide for Massachusetts’ Elizabeth Warren says the Cambridge Democrat has called on Franken privately to resign, as well. 

Wednesday morning saw more than 20 Democratic Senators call for Franken’s resignation, with Franken’s staff indicating via social media that the Minnesota lawmaker will be making an announcement on Thursday.

The rising tide of Democrats making public their demands for Franken to step down was apparently triggered by a 640-word Facebook post from New York U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand titled “Al Franken Should Step Aside.”

“I have been shocked and disappointed to learn over the last few weeks that a colleague I am fond of personally has engaged in behavior towards women that is unacceptable,” Gillibrand wrote. “I consider Senator Franken to be a friend and have enjoyed working with him in the Senate in our shared fight to help American families.

“But this moment of reckoning about our friends and colleagues who have been accused of sexual misconduct is necessary, and it is painful. We must not lose sight that this watershed moment is bigger than any one industry, any one party, or any one person.”

(Full text of Gillibrand’s post is included at the bottom)

Warren drew criticism Wednesday morning and into the afternoon after Gillibrand’s post went viral and the number of Democrats publicly calling for Franken’s resignation swelled. Warren’s Twitter account, which she is not shy of using to express her outrage at the GOP and especially President Donald Trump, as of mid-Wednesday afternoon still lacked any commentary on Franken, who has been accused by a growing number of women of committing unwanted groping and kissing

Warren had previously been one of the first female Senators to contribute to the viral #MeToo social media campaign, apparently initiated by the liberal actress Alyssa Milano. Shortly after Warren pressed Send on her #MeToo post, NBC News announced it would be taping a segment with Warren where she would detail her own personal experiences with sexual harassment. 

Warren in her appearance recalled an encounter with an older male colleague while teaching at the University of Houston Law School during the 1970s. Her story later drew criticism after a historical account of the school’s history was discovered online, which included an anecdote about Warren recalling the incident during a memorial service for her alleged predator — one that described the same encounter she spoke about during her NBC interview but differed drastically in tone. 

Warren has previously denounced Franken’s reported behavior but until now has stopped short of calling for his resignation. 

According to the Globe report, her aide said the Senator “thinks he should resign and had told him that privately.”

Gillibrand’s statement: