Former Franken female staffers speak out: He treated us with the utmost respect

[jpak]

Source: Washington Post

Some former female staffers of Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.) spoke out on Friday in his defense, saying that he had treated women with respect while they worked in his office.

The statement came on the same day that Leeann Tweeden, the Los Angeles radio news anchor who accused Franken of kissing and groping her against her will, said that she had heard directly from the senator and is willing to meet with him to discuss the allegations.

The statement is co-signed by eight former Franken staffers who have worked for him since he was elected to the Senate in 2008. It reads, “Many of us spent years working for Senator Franken in Minnesota and Washington. In our time working for the Senator, he treated us with the utmost respect. He valued our work and our opinions and was a champion for women both in the legislation he supported and in promoting women to leadership roles in our offices.”

The former staffers, a mix of communications and policy aides, sent the message to reporters on Friday. It does not explicitly say that they never heard about, experienced or witnessed any harassment or assault by Franken or others in his office.

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Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/powerpost/wp/2017/11/17/former-franken-female-staffers-speak-out-he-treated-us-with-the-utmost-respect/?utm_term=.104c2878b0c6

[truthisfreedom]

1. Helpful, I suppose.

He needs to do some really deft damage control.

[zentrum]

2. What else can he do?

Last edited Fri Nov 17, 2017, 08:12 PM - Edit history (1)

He's asked for an ethics investigation on himself. When was the last time a Repug did that?

He wrote the best apology I've ever seen. And she accepted it.

I think it's now on us to let him know we stand behind him. Especially the women among us.

[spotthebird]

3. And she lied, he did not grope her

So how can she be believed about anything?

[Scarsdale]

39. Exactly.

There is a huge difference between harassment, and good natured joking around. Surely, in the entertainment industry this woman has experienced both, and knows the difference? Besides, who lets another person photograph an actual case of mistreatment.? Franken was obviously joking around.

[byronius]

5. The tweet from his military escort was absolutely clear.

Franken was shadowed during every waking moment by a soldier assigned to him, even in the bathroom. This morning he tweeted that the photo was staged and part of the skit, nothing inappropriate happened at any time, and that he would have seen anything that did happen. He also identified himself as an independent.

[Demit]

7. The photo is almost assuredly on an aircraft. The tour was over, they were flying home.

I don't think the soldier escort would've been on that plane.

But: What was supposed to be part of a sketch was the kiss. She claimed it happened backstage while they were rehearsing. Which is a contradiction to the escort saying he never left Franken's side. Somebody's lying or misremembering.

[byronius]

10. The escort specifically addresses the photo. Plus, the woman claims the photo proves groping.

It does not. Plus, Roger Stone, Infowars, Breitbart.

They're desperate. Anything at all desperate.

[marlakay]

27. I read the data on the photo proves

it was done not on the plane but during tour before.

[Hortensis]

52. I want to believe all this stuff also, but all need to

drop anonymity and neutral professionals need to examine that evidence. So far it's just tweets.

Franken's accuser is not at all credible for a number of reasons, but we need hard evidence to undermine her story, more documented witness statements, etc.

Staff tend overall to reflect the ethics of their bosses (both by being hired for them and by copying them), which gives these women credibility to this Franken admirer.

However, any loyal staff statement inevitably also reminds me of the behavior of Clarence Thomas's little clique of his female clerical workers. Another example of how staff attitudes and behaviors can reflect their boss's.

[liberal_patriot_md]

21. It was a military aircraft

They were flying back on a C-17. There were other people there I can guarantee that.

[FiveGoodMen]

12. I'll second what zentrum said: "What else do expect him to do?"

[Maraya1969]

35. Yea, like on Morning Joe when they showed the tweet from Roger Stone's account

He needs to have this spread around somehow. Although the various news channels are doing a good job

------------------------------------------------------------

Hours before the allegations against Sen. Al Franken became public Thursday, Trump ally Roger Stone seemed to know they were coming.

A Twitter account linked to the former Trump adviser posted a quote from Stone in the early hours Thursday morning that suggested he expected allegations involving the Minnesota Democrat to go public.

The Stone Zone @stonezonetweets

QUOTE: Roger Stone says it's Al Franken's "time in the barrel". Franken next in long list of Democrats to be accused of "grabby" behavior.

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/roger-stone-appears-to-have-known-about-al-franken-allegations-hours-before-they-went-public/

[paleotn]

41. Uh....he is....

or haven't you been watching? Calling for and welcoming a Senate investigation of himself is about as deft as you can get. Tweaden and others involved will have to answer questions.....under oath and under the spot light of the national media. If things don't add up, this will blow up in HER face.....not Franken's. He comes out as the victim of a ham handed smear, with some nice ammo to use in 2020.

[Heather MC]

45. She is a Fox News Contributor

Friends with Hannity

She lying

[RussBLib]

4. More of this please

Let's have a press conference!

[Mr. Evil]

6. "It does not explicitly say that they never heard about, experienced or witnessed any harassment or

assault by Franken or others in his office."

What the fuck is that about?

[spooky3]

9. That jumped out at me too. Why didnt the reporter

follow up with them and ask that question?

[womanofthehills]

11. Randi Rhodes worked with Al on Air America for yrs

She said he was always respectful to all the women.

[TDale313]

29. Yes, and she had her issues with him at times

But she was also very clear in speaking to this yesterday that she never saw or heard anything that Al did that seemed inappropriate or predatory. And in her business she’d been around plenty of men who were and she’s pretty well tuned in to that kind of behavior. Her speaking out in his defense means a lot.

[pangaia]

14. Yeah, wtf???

Sounds like something from a faux news report.

[Lazy Daisy]

26. yeah I caught that too

Like they weren't happy with these women calling Al respectful.

[iluvtennis]

8. The picture I saw wasn't groping. yes, his hands were positioned as such, but they weren't touching

her at all. Also, Franken was looking backwards "mugging for the camera". Now, was it inappropriate, I say yes. But it in no way equates to "grab em by the p*ssy", or "i moved on the b*tch", or being a sexual predator of teenage girls

[pangaia]

15. When are people here going to understand she us talking about

another event OTHER THAN THE PIC???

[OilemFirchen]

25. You mean the picture she used as evidence of the groping?

What's to understand?

[red dog 1]

17. + 1

[barbtries]

13. the more time goes by

the more i think that this is nothing but a hit job concocted to take the heat off roy moore, a bunch of nothing inflated to something because what the right has IS nothing. it's comparable to what they put hillary through over Benghazi and her fucking emails. and now uranium for fuck's sake, the most UNscandalous scandal ever.

anyone on the left saying he should resign is wrong imo. he's a leader, one of the better ones in congress.

they got nothing, so they just make shit up. i think my blood pressure is rising the more i write and dwell on this. I will be crushed if Senator Franken caves to this false hysteria while an actual pervert takes a seat in congress and a proven pervert and sexual abuser inhabits the WH.

[red dog 1]

18. My sentiments exactly!

[iluvtennis]

22. + my sentiments too

[FuzzyRabbit]

24. It indeed is a hit job

designed to divide and weaken Democrats. And if the comments here on DU are any indication it was incredibly successful.

[marlakay]

28. Reminds me totally of a Karl Rove move

type of thing he would do...

[thegoose]

31. Absolutely!

PROOF:

Stone knew about it beforehand and tweeted. Afterwards, Dump gleefully tweeted about it while giving a pass to his co-pedophile Moore. Leelee or whatever her name is has cheesecake pics spread all over her social media, including a topless shot with Dump campaign stickers superimposed over her hoo-hahs. She is a Faux News contributor. And she just landed a conservative talk radio spot. This has the whiskey-stained breath of the bloodshot Steve Bannon all over it.

Democrats need to fight back hard and do it now. Otherwise the diseased Pukes will run #MeToo all through congress and dig up harmless pictures of Democratic lawmakers kissing their young daughters on the cheek at their wedding or graduation or confirmation and offer them as proof that they're having an incestuous affair with them.

Think that can't happen? Look what's already happened. We have a proven (by his own admission) sexual assaulter in the Oval Office while Paul "Eddie Munster" Ryan and Mitch McLipless fold their hands and say, "I support my president and his agenda."

There is no bottom to the Puke party.

[barbtries]

33. there really isn't.

they're greedy, soulless sociopaths. they are going to destroy this country. i'm 62 years old and never thought i'd see a day like this. someone like trump being president not even possible. russia stealing the election for him. the damage they're doing every fucking day it's just maddening.

[thegoose]

34. So true!

I'm 57. I lived through Nixon and managed to survive Ray-gun and double Bushes, but this is the very pit of stinking, worthless, lying corruption. I wake up every day feeling like I'm going insane when I see shows like "Good Morning America" report on this orange piece of shit like he's really the fucking president. Then they drag in gorgon Kellyanne Conway to interview her as if she'll offer some helpful insight into this fucked up administration???

Despite all of this, the Puke party is rushing to suck at the sagging teat of Orange Julius Caesar even more eagerly than they did with their Holy Lord and Savior Ronnie.

This is a cult. It's a nightmarish cult.

[Stonepounder]

37. I think that Al is a lot smarter than y'all are giving him credit for.

He said 'that's not the way I remember it, but if she was uncomfortable I sincerely apologize'. (my be some paraphrasing there). We all have things in our past that we wouldn't want to have up on the big screen, but we have (hopefully) matured since then and Al said basically that.

Then he called for a ethics investigation. It they have one, there will be folks deposed under oath. Hmmm, wonder who wants to have to testify in front of Congress? Also, if they call for an investigation for Franken, with only one accuser of something that doesn't really rise to the level of assault (and Mrs. Stonepounder agrees totally), they will have a hard time explaining why there isn't an Ethics Investigation for Moore and Trump and a bunch of others.

Franken knows he's clean and the others are dirty. He's playing 3-D chess with the Senate.

[barbtries]

38. i certainly hope so.

i know he's brilliant. i believe in his ethics and like your point about people under oath. doubt it will even happen but unless more shoes are dropping, he should sail through it. it's just i know he's under pressure from some on the left who would say resign.

[TomVilmer]

16. Sweater Meat

[red dog 1]

19. "It does not explicitly say they never heard about, experienced or witnessed any harassment or

assault by Franken or others in his office."???

Why did WaPo reporter Ed O'Keefe feel the need to add this ridiculous statement to the article?

K&R

[burrowowl]

20. K&R

[Honeycombe8]

23. Glad to hear it. nt

[blueinredohio]

30. Said she is willing to meet with him and discuss the allegations, if he does I hope he doesn't go al

and record everything

[BlancheSplanchnik]

32. I had no doubt. n/t

[DAngelo136]

36. To be noted

Franken was elected in 2008; the incident in question took place in 2006. It has no bearing on his work as a Senator and came two years before he even ran for office. This is basically a desperation play by the Republicans to give cover to Royatollah Moore's now floundering campaign and the tax cut for millionaires bill. As David Cay Johnston calls it:Intellectual Destruction Initiative Outrageous Tax Savings Act, a.k.a. the IDIOTS Tax Act of 2017.
https://www.dcreport.org/2017/11/17/why-this-house-tax-scheme-is-for-idiots/

The Rethugs are using a lot of assets and dirty tricks for this one. If they fail, they have nothing to show to their corporate masters, the Adelsons and the other billionaires who want to own the country. Harrass, harangue and humiliate.

[Achilleaze]

40. !

[JayhawkSD]

42. But he does not deny that he mistreated at least one other.

This is like an admitted bank robber offering in his defense a count of all the banks he did not rob.

If you treat 8 women with respect it allows you to disrespect 1, so does respecting 80 women allow you to disrespect 10?

Or put it in years. He respected them for ten years. Does that allow him a certain number of years to act like a pig?

Admit it; he's a Democrat so we'll defend him to the death.

[LisaL]

43. Well, clearly you don't include yourself into that "we"

[JayhawkSD]

44. I'm a Democrat. nt

[LisaL]

46. I am not saying you are not, but clearly you don't feel he should be defended.

[JayhawkSD]

47. I'm not entirely clear about that.

I'm drawing a parallel. Moore is being condemned based on unsupported female accusations from 40+ years ago. Franken is being defended because female accusations from 40+ years ago are unsupported. What is the difference? One is Republican and the other Democrat.

I'm inclined to believe that the statute of limitations should not apply merely to criminal prosecution, but should also apply to public and personal destruction. The statute applies because the misbehavior cannot be adequately proven: evidence disappears, witnesses die, memories change or are lost, crime scenes change, etc. If a person cannot be prosecuted for misbehavior due to the impossibility of proving the case, why should it be possible to publicly and personally destroy that person?

I don't really think either Moore or Franken should be in need of any defense.

On the other hand the victims are due some form of justice. There's no really good answer. It's an imperfect world.

On the other hand (or perhaps adding a foot), had the victims spoken out sooner then justice would have been a lot more likely, so they are not entirely free blame for the lack of justice. Sure, speaking out would have been hard, but no one ever promised that life, liberty, freedom... and justice... was easy. The constitution only guarantees access, it does not serve it up on a silver platter.

[treestar]

51. No one is perfect

And what is reported on him is not the same in degree as Moore and the PBIC (Pussy Grabber in Chief). He was a comedian FFS. We do not have to jump all over him to prove our objectivity.

[JayhawkSD]

53. Nor does defending him.

Defending him certainly does not illustrate objectivity. I did not say he should be vilified, I was objecting to the defenses raised in his behalf.

In fact, well over an hour before your comment, I stated that we probably should not be "jumping all over" either him or Moore for unprovable allegations from 40+ years ago.

[treestar]

54. I don't see that defending him means we are not objective

What he did does not compare. It is way milder, and he was a comedian at the time. Not like a D.A. who thinks that the women he should date are the ones still in high school. It's hardly "unprovable" unless you assume that none of the girls are credible.

[oberliner]

48. 'Women for Moore' to rally outside Alabama capitol

The event will feature women who will speak on Moore's behalf and "attest to his upstanding character."

http://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/360832-women-for-moore-to-rally-outside-alabama-capitol

[LisaL]

49. And I bet he is still going to be elected.

Republicans either don't believe the accusations, or don't care even if they believe the accusations (just like the Alabama's governor said, she still plans to vote for him even though she has no reason to not believe the accusations).

[treestar]

50. No one is perfect and listening to women and valuing their opinions

if a very big plus.