Senator Al Franken announced his resignation on Thursday, becoming the highest-ranking US politician yet to step down in the wake of widening allegations of sexual misconduct against powerful men in Hollywood, Silicon Valley, the media and politics. In the gallery above, Senate staff and aides passed tissues, sniffling as Franken moved through his 11-minute remarks. In his remarks on Thursday, Franken drew a contrast between himself and Donald Trump and Roy Moore, the Republican Senate candidate in Alabama, both of whom have rejected sexual assault allegations against them. Several of Franken’s colleagues commended him for “doing the right thing” and said his decision to resign should be a standard for elected officials credibly accused of sexual misconduct. “In every workplace in America, including the US Senate, we must confront the challenges of harassment and misconduct,” Klobuchar, of Minnesota, said in a statement.

Source: The Guardian December 07, 2017 16:54 UTC