Keith Ellison ‘deeply disturbed’ by Al Franken allegations

Franken’s good friend, Rep. Keith Ellison, D-Minn., told the Washington Examiner that he’s “deeply disturbed” by Tweeden’s harrowing story and commended her for speaking out.

“I’m deeply disturbed by what I read today,” Ellison told the Washington Examiner. “It took extraordinary bravery for Leeann Tweeden to come forward. Al Franken has been a good friend of mine for years, but we as a progressive community must take her words seriously, and fully commit ourselves to creating a world free from sexual harassment and assault.”

Ellison would not comment on whether Franken should resign.

Franken, who was elected to the Senate as a Democrat in 2008, issued a statement apologizing for his behavior after initially saying he didn’t remember the incident in which he kissed her, and then said the photo “was clearly intended to be funny but it wasn’t. I shouldn’t have done it.”

“The first thing I want to do is apologize: to Leeann, to everyone else who was part of that tour, to everyone who has worked for me, to everyone I represent, and to everyone who counts on me to be an ally and supporter and champion of women,” Franken said in a longer statement. “I respect women. I don’t respect men who don’t. And the fact that my own actions have given people a good reason to doubt that makes me feel ashamed.”

Both Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer forwarded the matter to the Senate Ethics Committee. Franken, as well as many Congressional Democrats, has welcomed that, saying, “I am asking that an ethics investigation be undertaken, and I will gladly cooperate.”

Tweeden said that she accepted Franken’s apology, but seemed to suggest that there may be a second accuser.

“I haven’t returned a phone call. I’ve gotten a phone call from a woman. I’ve only gotten a message and that said that something similar’s happened to her and I haven’t opened it yet,” Tweeden said.