Another woman has come forward to claim that Al Franken tried to kiss her without her consent in 2006, two years before he became a senator. The woman, a former congressional aide, told Politico that after she avoided Franken’s kiss he told her, “It’s my right as an entertainer.”
According to the woman, who chose to remain anonymous, the incident occurred after Franken had finished taping an episode of his radio show. She was packing her things to leave with her boss, who exited the studio shortly before her. Franken then allegedly made his move.
“He was between me and the door and he was coming at me to kiss me,” the woman told Politico. “It was very quick and I think my brain had to work really hard to be like ‘Wait, what is happening?’ But I knew whatever was happening was not right and I ducked.”
“I was really startled by it and I just sort of booked it towards the door and he said, ‘It’s my right as an entertainer,'” she added.
This woman is now the seventh Franken accuser, and the second to claim he tried to kiss her after a taping of his radio show. Although the alleged incident took place in 2006, the woman says she started talking about it more after the Trump Access Hollywood tape came out.
“Hearing Donald Trump say essentially the same thing that Al Franken said to me, which was ‘It’s my right as an entertainer,’ that was a real trigger,” she said.
Franken denies the woman’s accusation.
“This allegation is categorically not true and the idea that I would claim this as my right as an entertainer is preposterous,” the Minnesota senator said in a statement. “I look forward to fully cooperating with the ongoing ethics committee investigation.”
The story comes one day after Rep. John Conyers resigned from Congress in the wake of multiple complaints of sexual harassment. Franken has apologized to his accusers, but has thus far refused to step down.
“His resignation is not the top of the list there,” the woman explained. “That’s not my point. It’s not up to me what he does.”
Instead, the woman says she wants Franken to admit that he behaved this was on purpose, telling Politico, “I think for this moment in time to lead to meaningful change there has to be more than ‘I’m ashamed but I remember things differently’ accounting.”
