Former Democratic Senator Al Franken says he regrets resigning from the Senate in 2018 after facing allegations of sexual misconduct, and some current and former senators regret asking him to do so.
Franken spoke to The New Yorker's Jane Mayer in a new piece published on Monday delving into the allegations against the former senator, who was accused in 2017 of inappropriate touching or kissing by eight women. Asked if he now regrets resigning, Franken responded, "Oh, yeah. Absolutely."
Franken said he wishes he had been able to appear before a Senate Ethics Committee hearing, but he tells The New Yorker that Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) demanded he resign or else he would organize the whole Democratic caucus to demand his resignation. A spokesperson for Schumer denied this threat was made.
"I'm angry at my colleagues who did this," Franken said, going on to say he "became clinically depressed" after leaving the Senate. He also placed blame on Schumer, saying, "Look, the Leader is called the Leader for a reason."
Mayer in the piece delves into the first accusation against Franken, which came from broadcaster Leeann Tweeden, who accused Franken of forcibly kissing her; she also released a photo of Franken with his hands over her breasts while she was sleeping. Mayer describes some apparent inconsistencies in the account as Tweeden described it, including that the USO skit Tweeden alleged Franken wrote just as an opportunity to kiss her had been performed previously. On Twitter, Mayer wrote that "almost NOTHING his main accuser said checks out."
In the piece, seven former and current U.S. senators said they now regret asking Franken to resign. But Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) defended her decision to call for Franken's resignation, saying, "I'd do it again today." Read the full piece at The New Yorker.