He faces a Senate ethics investigation for improper conduct and hasn’t been seen publicly since the first claims of misbehavior last week. On Thursday, the senator issued a Thanksgiving statement of explanation and regret — and a pledge to regain the trust of Minnesotans, suggesting that he wasn’t planning on resigning as some have called on him to do. According to a CNN report filed on Nov. 20, a second woman has accused Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.) of inappropriate touching, this time after he joined the Senate. Another woman, Lindsay Menz, said Monday that he had squeezed her buttocks in 2010 while posing for a photo at the Minnesota State Fair. Franken canceled a sold-out appearance in Atlanta to promote his book “Al Franken, Giant of the Senate.” His aides have said he’s “spending time with his family and doing a lot of reflecting.”

Source: Washington Post November 24, 2017 03:33 UTC