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Franken's Office Says He'll Make Announcement Thursday Amid Mounting Calls to Resign

Sen. Al Franken / Getty Images
December 6, 2017

Sen. Al Franken's (D., Minn.) office said he will make an announcement on Thursday as he faces mounting calls to step down because of accusations of sexual harassment.

According to CNN reporter Manu Raju, there was no indication yet what Franken will say.

Eleven Democratic Senators, the majority of them women, called on Franken to resign in the span of less than an hour on Wednesday after a seventh accusation of sexual misconduct surfaced against him. Also, Democratic National Committee chair Tom Perez said Franken should step down.

The number of senators calling on Franken to step down has continued to grow Wednesday afternoon.

Franken, a popular progressive who has seen his stock rise in the party as a prolific fundraiser and anti-White House voice, won his first term in the U.S. Senate in 2008 and was re-elected in 2014.

He said last month he was "embarrassed and ashamed" by the allegations against him but did not say he would resign.

Leeann Tweeden was the first woman to accuse him of misconduct, writing last month that Franken kissed her without permission on a 2006 USO tour and posting a photo of Franken appearing to grab her breasts through her flak vest while she slept.