U.S. Senator says he is 'ashamed'

U.S. Senator Al Franken said he was "ashamed" by the accusations that he had groped or touched four women inappropriately and also called the situation 'embarassing'.
U.S. Senator Al Franken said he was "ashamed" by accusations that he had groped or touched four women inappropriately and called the situation 'embarrassing'.
In an interview with Minnesota Public Radio, he said had no plans to resign.
When asked if he had considered resigning, Franken said: "No, no. The ethics committee is looking into this and I will cooperate fully with it," he said.
Pressed about resigning and allowing a woman to take his seat, Franken told Minnesota Public Radio, "I'm committed to working as hard as I can here in the Senate for the people of Minnesota. The ethics committee will be looking into all this, and I will work with them in any way I can."
Franken's office had previously issued statements in which he either apologized or said he could not remember behaving in a way that the women said.
He has not denied any of the allegations. Franken is among a long list of celebrities and politicians who have been accused of sexual misconduct.
The recent wave of accusations, some of them dating back for decades, began in October.
Franken was first accused of sexual misconduct on Nov. 16, when radio broadcaster Leann Tweeden said that he had forcibly kissed her and groped her while she was sleeping in 2016.
At that time, Franken was a professional comedian. He took a seat in the U.S. Senate in 2009.