The Senate Ethics Committee has announced that they have opened a preliminary inquiry into the allegations of sexual harassment against Sen. Al Franken (D-MN).
Here is the statement from the Ethics Committee:
With a total of five women now accusing Sen. Franken of groping them during photos, the investigation is more than justified. Sen. Franken has stated that he will fully cooperate with the investigation, and he has taken responsibility for his behavior.
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The upside for Franken is that the Ethics Committee could clear him, or find that his no violations have occurred since he was elected to the US Senate. The downside for Franken will come if the committee, which values its non-partisan ways, finds that he violated Senate ethics rules. If that happens, he’s probably finished as a US Senator.
Sen. Franken has never denied any of the allegations and has always taken responsibility, but there will be no public hearings on this matter, and the investigation won’t examine the credibility of Franken’s accusers but will center around his conduct.
Al Franken is hanging on to his Senate career by a thread, and it isn’t an understatement to say that the findings of the investigation could be make or break for the Senator from Minnesota.
Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.
Awards and Professional Memberships
Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association
