© 2025 Connecticut Public

FCC Public Inspection Files:
WEDH · WEDN · WEDW · WEDY
WEDW-FM · WNPR · WPKT · WRLI-FM
Public Files Contact · ATSC 3.0 FAQ
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Sen. Al Franken Says He 'Crossed The Line' But Won't Resign

After groping allegations were lodged against Sen. Al Franken, D-Minn., earlier this month, the senator says he will "cooperate fully" with the Senate Ethics Committee, but says he will not resign.
Carolyn Kaster
/
AP
After groping allegations were lodged against Sen. Al Franken, D-Minn., earlier this month, the senator says he will "cooperate fully" with the Senate Ethics Committee, but says he will not resign.

In the wake of the groping allegations against the Minnesota Democratic senator, Al Franken says he accepts responsibility for his actions but has not considered resigning.

"I'm going to go forward," he said in an interview with Minnesota Public Radio News. "I'm going to take responsibility. I'm going to be held accountable, and I'm going to try to be productive in the way I speak about this."

Franken told MPR he acknowledges he has "crossed the line for some women." He says he will "cooperate fully" with the Senate Ethics Committee.

MPR's Mark Zdechlik reports that four women have made allegations against Franken since mid-November.

Earlier this month Leeann Tweeden, a Los Angeles radio host, said Franken groped her in 2006 while the two were onboard an Army transport plane. Tweeden, who was asleep at the time, shared a photo of the future senator putting his hands on her chest while smiling for the camera.

Listen here for the full interview with MPR News.

Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

The independent journalism and non-commercial programming you rely on every day is in danger.

If you’re reading this, you believe in trusted journalism and in learning without paywalls. You value access to educational content kids love and enriching cultural programming.

Now all of that is at risk.

Federal funding for public media is under threat and if it goes, the impact to our communities will be devastating.

Together, we can defend it. It’s time to protect what matters.

Your voice has protected public media before. Now, it’s needed again. Learn how you can protect the news and programming you depend on.

SOMOS CONNECTICUT is an initiative from Connecticut Public, the state’s local NPR and PBS station, to elevate Latino stories and expand programming that uplifts and informs our Latino communities. Visit CTPublic.org/latino for more stories and resources. For updates, sign up for the SOMOS CONNECTICUT newsletter at ctpublic.org/newsletters.

SOMOS CONNECTICUT es una iniciativa de Connecticut Public, la emisora local de NPR y PBS del estado, que busca elevar nuestras historias latinas y expandir programación que alza y informa nuestras comunidades latinas locales. Visita CTPublic.org/latino para más reportajes y recursos. Para noticias, suscríbase a nuestro boletín informativo en ctpublic.org/newsletters.

The independent journalism and non-commercial programming you rely on every day is in danger.

If you’re reading this, you believe in trusted journalism and in learning without paywalls. You value access to educational content kids love and enriching cultural programming.

Now all of that is at risk.

Federal funding for public media is under threat and if it goes, the impact to our communities will be devastating.

Together, we can defend it. It’s time to protect what matters.

Your voice has protected public media before. Now, it’s needed again. Learn how you can protect the news and programming you depend on.

Related Content