Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) told his Democratic opponent, Mike Franken, that he’s in “no position to lecture” about women after moderators brought up Franken’s assault allegations during a debate Thursday night.
When questioned about a former staffer’s claims that he forcibly kissed her, Franken attempted to turn it on the Republican, accusing him of not supporting women’s rights because of his anti-abortion stance.
Franken, a retired vice admiral in the Navy, denies the allegations, and Des Moines police concluded they were unfounded.
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“What he’s doing is weaponizing women’s rights,” Franken said. “This is a guy who’s made it his career to ban abortion, to support unequal pay, to do nothing for paid family leave, too. Many times he voted against the Violence Against Women Act. I don’t have a problem with this issue. He has a problem with women.”
Grassley shot back that Franken doesn’t have a leg to stand on when it comes to respecting women and reminded him that the uncovered police report did not come from his campaign.
Kimberley Strope-Boggus, a Democratic operative and Franken’s former campaign manager, filed a police report in April accusing the Democrat of kissing her on the mouth without her consent after a work meeting at a bar in March. The police report included her saying that Franken has “1950s interactions with women” and that he believes “kissing and hugging women is part of his charm.” However, Strope-Boggus “did not describe any sexual intent nor any intent to harm either her or the other women that [redacted] has kissed.”
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Franken confirmed that he “had a glass of beer” with Strope-Boggus that night but denied any appropriate interaction with her.
Grassley is the favorite ahead of the November election and has represented Iowa in the Senate since 1981. Though formerly a swing state, Iowa has trended more deeply red over the past years.
