Al Franken Faces New Sexual Misconduct Allegation As He Attempts Political Comeback

Former Sen. Al Franken is attempting to make a political comeback but was accused of sexual misconduct by a ninth woman on Monday.

New York magazine published reflections from 25 women involved in the #MeToo movement, including one anonymous woman who revealed a new allegation against Franken. The magazine identifies her as “a former staffer who served on Democratic campaigns and works at a large progressive organization.”

“I was just out of college in my first job, working for U.S. Senator Patty Murray. Al Franken was the guest speaker at an event in 2006. I was working the photo line, and he pulled me in. Murray said, ‘Let’s take the picture.’ And he puts his hand on my ass. He’s telling the photographer, ‘Take another one. I think I blinked. Take another one.’ And I’m just frozen. It’s so violating. And then he gives me a little squeeze on my buttock, and I am bright red. I don’t say anything at the time but I felt deeply, deeply uncomfortable,” the anonymous woman writes in her account.

New York magazine said it interviewed three people who confirmed the woman’s allegation. The woman, a military veteran, concluded her reflection by calling herself “the biggest of hypocrites.”

“I work in a position where I am constantly trying to get people to tell their stories so we can make systemic change. But I’ve worked so hard to amass this small amount of power that I’m so terrified of that being taken away,” she writes.

She is the ninth woman to accuse Franken on unwanted groping or kissing. Franken provided the magazine with a comment on the new allegation.

“Two years ago, I would have sworn that I’d never done anything to make anyone feel uncomfortable, but it’s clear that I must have been doing something,” he said. “As I’ve said before, I feel terrible that anyone came away from an interaction with me feeling bad.”

Franken debuted his first episode of “The Al Franken Show” on SiriusXM Saturday, and will begin a speaking tour at a sold-out show in Portland, Oregon Wednesday, The Minnesota Sun reported.

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Anthony Gockowski is managing editor of Battleground State News, The Ohio Star, and The Minnesota Sun. Follow Anthony on Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “Al Franken” by Lorie Shaull. CC BY-SA 2.0.