Woman says Franken inappropriately touched her during State Fair photo op
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Updated: 9:46 a.m. | Posted: 8:50 a.m.
Another woman is accusing Sen. Al Franken of sexual misconduct, saying he grabbed her buttocks while taking a picture with her at the 2010 Minnesota State Fair.
Lindsay Menz, who now lives in Frisco, Texas, described the interaction to CNN as "uncomfortable" and that it made her feel "gross." According to CNN, Menz met Franken and other politicians while at a radio station booth that her father's business was sponsoring.
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The senator "pulled me in really close, like awkward close, and as my husband took the picture, he put his hand full-fledged on my rear. It was wrapped tightly around my butt cheek," she told CNN.
On Twitter, Menz said the interaction made her feel "violated & embarassed [sic]."
It's the second allegation of sexual misconduct by Franken in less than a week, and the first that allegedly occurred while he served in the Senate.
Last week, Los Angeles radio anchor Leeann Tweeden accused Franken of forcibly kissing her and groping her during a 2006 USO tour, before Franken was in office.
He has apologized to Tweeden, and she has accepted the apology, but a handful of Democrats have called for him to resign. Republicans, still forced to answer for the multiple allegations facing Alabama Senate candidate Roy Moore, joined in pressing for an expected investigation by the Senate ethics committee. Franken said he would welcome it.
Over the weekend, Franken's staff said he has no plans to resign. Staff said he will spend Thanksgiving in Washington, D.C., where he will do "a lot of reflecting."
Franken was not immediately available to comment on the latest accusation.
In a statement to CNN, Franken said he doesn't remember taking the photo with Menz and that he felt "badly" that she felt disrespected.
"I take thousands of photos at the state fair surrounded by hundreds of people, and I certainly don't remember taking this picture," Franken said. "I feel badly that Ms. Menz came away from our interaction feeling disrespected."
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
