Sen. Ron Wyden Predicts Sen. Al Franken Will Resign Tomorrow Amid Allegations of Sexual Harassment

The Oregon senator tweeted that he believes the resignation is the "right thing to do." Sen. Jeff Merkley agrees.

Wyden, shown here at last week’s town hall in Oregon City, is counting on public pressure to force action in Washington, D.C. (Joe Riedl)
By Katie Shepherd

U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Oregon) announced on Twitter this morning that he expects his colleague in the senate, Al Franken (D-Minnesota), to resign tomorrow amid allegations of sexual harassment.

"I expect that Senator Franken will announce his resignation tomorrow," Wyden tweeted. "It is the right thing to do given this series of serious allegations."

Sen. Jeff Merkley, who has been a political ally of Franken's on the economic left, called for his colleague's resignation this morning.

"Senator Franken has said he will make an announcement tomorrow, and I hope that he will do the right thing," Merkley wrote on Twitter. "It is in the best interest of our country for him to step aside."

People have been calling for Franken's resignation after seven women accused him of groping or forcibly trying to kiss them. Franken denied some of the allegations.

Eleven Democratic women in the senate called for Franken to resign this morning, and a number of high-ranking men in the party joined them.

"We should demand the highest standards, not the lowest, from our leaders, and we should fundamentally value and respect women," New York Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand wrote in a statement posted on Facebook Wednesday. "The allegations against Sen. Franken describe behavior that cannot be tolerated. While he's entitled to an Ethics Committee hearing, I believe he should step aside to let someone else serve."

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