The president of one of the largest pro-choice political action committees in the country said Monday she was "heartbroken" that former Sen. Al Franken (D., Minn.) had to resign in early January after eight groping accusations.
Stephanie Schriock, who leads EMILY's List, which helps elect pro-choice female Democrats to office, appeared on the "The Axe Files" podcast to discuss women getting involved in the political process by running in the 2018 midterm elections.
Host David Axelrod, a senior CNN political commentator and senior adviser to former President Barack Obama, mentioned how the #MeToo movement against sexual assault has been a positive force in politics since last fall, but described the Franken case as "politics run amok a little bit," prompting Schriock to call the downfall of Franken "a painful time for everybody involved."
Schriock, who ran Franken's 2008 Senate campaign, called the accusations against Franken a "perfect storm" that nobody could pull him out of before adding that it was "incredibly frustrating." Axelrod said Franken was "collateral damage" for Democrats as they prepared to take on Alabama's Republican Senate candidate Roy Moore, who was accused by multiple women of sexual misconduct when they were minors, last November.
Axelrod said the treatment of Franken was "unfair."
"He was never going to do anything that wasn't going to help the people of Minnesota and when it became clearer and clearer, particularly when the senators started calling for his resignation that he was going to have a hard time doing his work," Schriock said. " He loves, loves Minnesota and did not want to do anything to hurt or damage the people there."
She went on to say later in the interview she was "heartbroken" over how things went down with Franken.
Back in January, Schriock called Franken's resignation "admirable" and said he was a "phenomenal senator" during an appearance on Politico‘s "Women Rule" podcast.
Schriock said it was "hard" for Franken to go through that moment without finishing the due process that the Senate Ethics Committee set up for him with a formal investigation.
"For Al Franken, if he couldn't do his job, he was going to step away so somebody could because he put the people first," Schriock continued. "I think that's admirable, frankly."
Schriock's comments appear to contradict what she tweeted back in November, following allegations of sexual misconduct against the Democratic senator.
"Harassment is always wrong and should always be called out," she tweeted. "I am sad and disappointed about this inappropriate behavior. This does not reflect the Al Franken I have known for 12 years and I'm glad he has apologized and called for an investigation."
Harassment is always wrong and should always be called out. I am sad and disappointed about this inappropriate behavior. This does not reflect the Al Franken I have known for 12 years and I'm glad he has apologized and called for an investigation.
— Stephanie Schriock (@Schriock1) November 16, 2017
Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton (D.) appointed Lt. Gov. Tina Smith to fill Franken's vacant seat in early January.