Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer says sexual misconduct allegations against Minnesota Sen. Al Franken are "troubling" and he hopes and expects that the Senate Ethics Committee will fully investigate.
Schumer says, "Sexual harassment is never acceptable and must not be tolerated."
He said Thursday that a bipartisan ethics panel should "fully investigate this troubling incident, as they should with any credible allegation of sexual harassment."
A Los Angeles radio anchor accused Franken of forcibly kissing her during a 2006 USO tour and of posing for a photo with his hands on her breasts as she slept. The Democrat has apologized. He was not a senator at the time.
Franken has called for an ethics investigation into his own actions after Leeann Tweeden accused Franken on Thursday of forcibly kissing her during a rehearsal of a skit. Tweeden says Franken stuck his tongue in her mouth.
Franken apologized soon after Tweeden's online essay was published, but said he didn't remember the rehearsal the same way. Hours later, he issued another statement with a fuller apology.
He says he doesn't "know what was in my head" when the picture was taken but says there's no excuse. He says he'll cooperate with an ethics investigation.
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