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Sen. Franken Faces Another Sexual Misconduct Allegation

Minnesota Sen. Al Franken is facing allegations he groped a former constituent during a photo op in 2010.
Posted at 11:17 AM, Nov 23, 2017
and last updated 2017-11-23 11:17:35-05

Minnesota Sen. Al Franken has been accused of sexual misconduct again, this time when he was a sitting senator.

Franken's former constituent Lindsay Menz told CNN he grabbed her while they were posing for a photo at the 2010 Minnesota State Fair. Franken was sworn in to the senate in 2009.

In a statement to CNN, Franken said he doesn't remember the incident, but added, "I feel badly that Ms. Menz came away from our interaction feeling disrespected."

CNN says Menz reached out after Franken's first accuser, Leeann Tweeden, alleged he "kissed and groped" her without her consent when they were on a USO tour in 2006. Franken called for a Senate ethics investigation of himself in the wake of that allegation.

Franken was sponsoring a bill to help sexual assault survivors interact with law enforcement before the allegations surfaced. Minnesota's senior Sen. Amy Klobuchar has taken over sponsorship of that bill.

Correction: A previous version of this story incorrectly said Franken was two years into his first term as a senator in 2010. The story has been updated.