Nov 30, 2017

5th Franken accuser says he groped her in 2003

Photo: Lawrence Jackson / AP

Army veteran Stephanie Kemplin, now 41, told CNN that Sen. Al Fanken (D-Minn.) cupped her breast during a photo op in Kuwait in 2003. Kemplin is the fifth woman to accuse Franken of inappropriate sexual behavior in two weeks.

Why it matters: Franken is currently being investigated by the Senate Ethics Committee. Earlier this week, he held a press conference to apologize for his disrespectful behavior, adding that he is embarrassed and ashamed of his actions. However, he maintained that he has no plans to resign in the wake of the allegations.

The latest accusation: Kemplin said she met Franken, then a comedian, while being stationed in the Middle East. As a fan of "Saturday Night Live," Kemplin said she got in line to take a photo with him.

"When he put his arm around me, he groped my right breast. He kept his hand all the way over on my breast. I've never had a man put their arm around me and then cup my breast. So he was holding my breast on the side ... I remember clenching up and ... thinking — is he going to move his hand? Was it an accident? Was he going to move his hand? He never moved his hand ... It was long enough that he should have known if it was an accident. I'm very confident saying that."

A Franken spokesman told CNN Wednesday night: "As Sen. Franken made clear this week, he takes thousands of photos and has met tens of thousands of people and he has never intentionally engaged in this kind of conduct. He remains fully committed to cooperating with the ethics investigation."

Other accusers:

  • Leann Tweeden accused Franken of unwanted kissing and groping during a 2006 USO tour in the Middle East.
  • Lindsay Menz alleged Franken groped her butt while taking a photo with him at the Minnesota State Fair in 2010.
  • Two unnamed women told the Huffington Post separately that Franken grabbed their butts. One said he groped her during a photo after an event in Minneapolis, and the other said he cupped her butt at a 2008 Democratic fundraiser before suggesting the two visit the bathroom together.

Go deeper

Axios
Updated 36 mins ago - Politics & Policy

Coronavirus dashboard

Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios

  1. Global: Total confirmed cases as of 9 a.m. ET: 31,092,895 — Total deaths: 961,301— Total recoveries: 21,274,210 — Map.
  2. U.S.: Total confirmed cases as of 9 a.m. ET: 6,812,470 — Total deaths: 199,517 — Total recoveries: 2,590,671 — Total tests: 95,108,559 — Map.
  3. Health: CDC updates guidances to say coronavirus can be spread through the air — Nursing homes are evicting unwanted patients.
  4. Politics: Testing czar on Trump's CDC contradictions: "Everybody is right."
  5. Education: College students give failing grade on return to campus.
  6. Business: Unemployment concerns are growing.
  7. World: "The Wake-Up Call" warns the West about the consequences of mishandling a pandemic.
Go deeper (<1 min. read)Arrow
Ben Geman, author of Generate
1 hour ago - Energy & Environment

The climate stakes of the Supreme Court fight

Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios

Ruth Bader Ginsburg's death and the battle over her vacant Supreme Court seat have real implications for energy and climate policy.

Why it matters: If President Trump replaces her, the court will likely become more skeptical of regulations that claim expansive federal power to regulate carbon under existing law, and perhaps new climate statutes as well.

Go deeper (2 min. read)Arrow
Dion Rabouin, author of Markets
1 hour ago - Economy & Business

The tech war between the U.S. and China escalates

Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios

Economic tension between the U.S. and China continues to escalate but is shifting in focus — away from the tit-for-tat trade war and toward a more direct confrontation over the future of technology at the heart of the conflict between the world's two largest economies.

Why it matters: The battle between the U.S. and China was always about tech supremacy and the direct confrontation could result in an accelerated splintering of global supply chains and a significant reduction of international commerce.

Go deeper (2 min. read)Arrow