Democratic donor Susie Tompkins Bell critiqued Democrats for the "unfair" ousting of now-former Sen. Al Franken, D-Minn., over claims of sexual misconduct.
"I feel like it was so unfair," said Bell on Politico's "Women Rule" podcast.
Bell, a close friend of Hillary Clinton, said she was "very ashamed of the Democrats for letting that happen."
Franken resigned late in 2017 after a number of sexual harassment accusations were made against him. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., and other female Democratic senators had urged him to resign.
"It seemed like the people that forced him out — it was like vigilantes on a rampage. It just struck me as so wrong," Bell said on the podcast.
The donor, who founded the Esprit clothing brand, has been a champion for progressive women in politics, but criticized Gillibrand in the podcast interview.
"This has been her issue, sexual harassment… and I respect her very much for that, but I felt at the moment she just went way too fast and she kind of dragged everyone along with her," Bell said.
In January, Bell said that she might not support female senators who had called on Franken to step down, the Politico report said.
"I haven't made a decision… I don't really know. I'm just kind of waiting to see," Bell said on the podcast.
Bell also took aim at Gillibrand in February, saying that Gillibrand "shot herself in the foot" by criticizing Franken.
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