Sen. Franken asks for ethics investigation, writes long apology after sexual misconduct accusation
— -- Sen. Al Franken wrote a long apology and asked for an ethics investigation after a female radio host claimed he forcibly kissed her when they were performing together for troops overseas and that he groped her while she was sleeping.
Leeann Tweeden, who is a radio news anchor on Los Angeles station KABC (owned by Cumulus Media), wrote on KABC's website this morning that in 2006, when Franken was a comedian and not yet Minnesota's junior Democratic senator, he insisted on kissing her as part of a rehearsal for an act. He later groped her while she was asleep on a military plane on her way home from a USO tour, she also claimed.
Franken said in a statement today, "I don't know what was in my head when I took that picture, and it doesn't matter. There's no excuse. I look at it now and I feel disgusted with myself. It isn't funny."
As for Tweeden's claims that he insisted on kissing her, he said, "While I don't remember the rehearsal for the skit as Leeann does, I understand why we need to listen to and believe women’s experiences."
Franken said, “I am asking that an ethics investigation be undertaken, and I will gladly cooperate."
