GOP Rep. Trent Franks resigning after discussing surrogacy with female staffers

Rep. Trent Franks.
(Image credit: Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

Republican Rep. Trent Franks (Ariz.) announced Thursday night he will resign from office, with his last day Jan. 31, 2018.

"I have recently learned that the Ethics Committee is reviewing an inquiry regarding my discussion of surrogacy with two previous female subordinates, making each feel uncomfortable," Franks said in a statement. "I deeply regret that my discussion of this option and process in the workplace caused distress." Three Republicans who spoke to The Washington Post said Franks asked the staffers if they would serve as surrogates for Franks and his wife. The couple has two children, twins, who were born via surrogate.

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Catherine Garcia, The Week US

Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.