The USO said Thursday the allegations against Sen. Al Franken, D-Minn., are “deeply disturbing” and don’t reflect the organization’s values.
Ashley McLellan, a spokeswoman for the USO, told the Washington Examiner in an email the USO didn’t have any knowledge of the incident involving Franken and radio host Leeann Tweeden, who participated in a USO tour in the Middle East in 2006.
Tweeden accused Franken of forcibly kissing her while they were practicing for a skit they performed during the tour. Franken also posed for a photo in which he appeared to be grabbing Tweeden’s breasts. Tweeden, a former sports commentator and radio host, said she was asleep when the photo was taken.
McLellan said the incident was never reported to the organization.
Franken’s brother, Owen Franken, was a photographer for the USO during the tour in 2006, but it’s unknown who took the photo showing Franken groping Tweeden.
Franken is currently a member of the USO Congressional Caucus, which was created in 2003 to boost outreach efforts of the American people to service members and their families. The bipartisan and bicameral caucus has more than 200 members.
The USO doesn’t have any current plans to “engage” with Franken, McLellan said, and the organization doesn’t have any records of misconduct by the senator on other USO tours.
Franken wasn’t in the Senate at the time of the incident and wouldn’t be elected until 2008.
