Joining over thirty of his colleagues, Senate Democrat Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (NY) has belatedly jumped onto the call for Minnesota Democrat Senator Al Franken’s resignation after a bevy of women came forward to charge him with various degrees of sexual misconduct.
In a short statement issued on Wednesday, Schumer said, “I consider Senator Franken a dear friend and greatly respect his accomplishments, but he has a higher obligation to his constituents and the Senate, and he should step down immediately.”
Already the Senate Democrat’s number two man, Dick Durbin (IL), and the party’s assistant leader, Patty Murray (WA), had joined New York Democrat Kirsten Gillibrand’s campaign to force Franken to resign his seat.
With Schumer finally adding his voice to the call for Franken to step down, that brings all three of the top Senate minority leaders to bear on Franken.
The call for Franken to leave the U.S. Senate came on the heels of yet another accuser coming forward with charges of untoward sexual conduct.
On Wednesday morning, journalist Tina Dupuy accused Sen. Franken of sexual misconduct in a piece published by The Atlantic. Dupuy claimed the Minnesota Senator groped her in 2009 at a Media Matters party during Barack Obama’s inauguration.
The list of Democrats calling for Franken to leave the upper chamber has grown to more than 30, with most taking to Twitter to announce their position on his resignation.
Senators Sheldon Whitehouse (RI), Elizabeth Warren (MA), Chris Murphy (CT), Bernie Sanders (VT), and Patrick Leahy (VT) also issued statements or made comments to the press calling for Franken’s removal.
The Twitter campaign is a show of force from colleagues that Franken will not be able to ignore. Indeed, Franken’s office has already said the Sen. will be making an announcement Thursday. Most expect Franken will announce his resignation at that time.
Follow Warner Todd Huston on Twitter @warnerthuston.
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