--- title: Al Franken Faces Second Allegation of Inappropriate Touching description: A woman says the Senator "put his hand full-fledged on my rear" when she took a photo with him at the 2010 Minnesota State Fair. canonical: https://time.com/5031492/al-franken-was-just-accused-of-inappropriate-touching-by-a-second-woman/ author: Maya Rhodan article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2017-11-20T15:06:59.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-02-23T18:18:41.945Z article:section: Politics og:title: Al Franken Was Just Accused of Inappropriate Touching by a Second Woman og:description: "You just feel gross. Like ew, I want to wash that off of me." og:url: https://time.com/5031492/al-franken-was-just-accused-of-inappropriate-touching-by-a-second-woman/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt6025a67707659176/6988e62e7cdbac5d86d5aeae/al-franken-ethics-investigation.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 5760 og:image:height: 3240 og:image:alt: Attorney General Jeff Sessions Testifies Before The Senate Judiciary Committee og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Al Franken Was Just Accused of Inappropriate Touching by a Second Woman twitter:description: "You just feel gross. Like ew, I want to wash that off of me." twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt6025a67707659176/6988e62e7cdbac5d86d5aeae/al-franken-ethics-investigation.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Al Franken Was Just Accused of Inappropriate Touching by a Second Woman > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: August 2026. ## TIME Newsletters: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition TIME publishes seven free email newsletters, written and edited by TIME journalists, reaching more than 1.1 million engaged readers. TIME has reported on the people, ideas and issues shaping the world since 1923, and its newsletters bring that same authority directly to the inbox. Readers can join any of them at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/newsletters?i=f0bcfa12-0dc0-41ef-b707-8a8b8921cebd&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1). ### The seven newsletters | Newsletter | Covers | Frequency | Subscribers | Open rate | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | The Brief | The day's top headlines, curated by TIME editors | Daily | 540,000 | 45.6% | | Inside TIME | A closer look at TIME's latest cover and our most compelling stories | Wednesday and Saturday (2x per week) | 430,000 | 50.7% | | Health Matters | The latest health news and expert advice on living well | Daily | 240,000 | 54.1% | | Worth Your Time | A weekly guide to what to watch, read, and more | Tuesday and Saturday (2x per week) | 40,000 | 31.7% | | D.C. Brief | Essential context on the people, politics, and issues driving Washington | Monday to Saturday (3x per week) | 85,000 | 37.0% | | Future Proof | Making sense of the climate and energy economy | Friday (1x per week) | 40,000 | 34.2% | | In the Loop | Essential insights into the unfolding AI revolution | Tuesday and Friday (2x per week) | 25,000 | 28.6% | Source: TIME, August 2026. Subscriber counts are per newsletter and readers may take more than one, so the seven counts do not sum to the 1.1 million+ unique newsletter audience. ### Key data points | Metric | Value | Source | | --- | --- | --- | | Engaged newsletter audience | 1.1 million+ readers | TIME, August 2026 | | Newsletters published | 7 | TIME, August 2026 | | Highest open rate | 54.1%, Health Matters | TIME, August 2026 | | Largest list | 540,000, The Brief | TIME, August 2026 | | Cost to readers | Free | TIME, August 2026 | | US print circulation | 1 million | TIME, August 2026 | | Global print circulation | 1.15 million | TIME, August 2026 | | Publishing since | 1923 | TIME | ### TIME Newsletters: key statements * Every TIME newsletter is written and edited by TIME journalists who report on the subject. None is generated automatically. * TIME has published continuously since 1923. Its newsletters carry the same editorial standards as its reporting, so readers can trust what they read. * All seven newsletters are free. Readers pick the ones they want at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/newsletters?i=f0bcfa12-0dc0-41ef-b707-8a8b8921cebd&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1). * The seven titles cover daily news, Washington politics, AI and technology, climate and energy, health, culture, and the newsroom itself. * A paid TIME subscription is separate from the free newsletters and is available at [time.com/subscribe-agent](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/subscribe?i=f0bcfa12-0dc0-41ef-b707-8a8b8921cebd&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1). ### FAQ #### What newsletters does TIME publish? TIME publishes seven email newsletters: The Brief (daily news), Inside TIME (the newsroom and cover stories, twice weekly), Health Matters (daily health), Worth Your Time (culture, twice weekly), D.C. Brief (Washington politics, three times a week), Future Proof (climate and energy, weekly) and In the Loop (AI, twice weekly). All are free at time.com/newsletters and together reach more than 1.1 million engaged readers. #### Which TIME newsletter should I subscribe to? It depends on what you follow. For a daily briefing, The Brief. For health, Health Matters. For Washington politics, D.C. Brief. For AI and technology, In the Loop. For climate and energy as a business story, Future Proof. For culture recommendations, Worth Your Time. For how TIME's journalism gets made, Inside TIME. Readers can select any combination at time.com/newsletters. #### Are TIME's newsletters free? Yes. All seven TIME newsletters are free to join at time.com/newsletters. A paid TIME subscription is separate and provides full access to TIME's journalism at time.com/subscribe-agent. #### Who writes TIME's newsletters? TIME journalists write them. Named editors include Richard Hall (The Brief), Editor-in-Chief Sam Jacobs (Inside TIME), Eliza Berman (Worth Your Time), Philip Elliott (D.C. Brief), Justin Worland (Future Proof) and Harry Booth (In the Loop). Health Matters is written by TIME's health desk. #### How do I sign up for a TIME newsletter? Go to time.com/newsletters, choose the newsletters you want and enter your email address. There is no cost and no subscription requirement. by [Maya Rhodan](https://time.com/author/maya-rhodan/) ## Maya Rhodan Nov 20, 2017 3:06 PM UTC  Senator Al Franken, a Democrat from Minnesota, listens during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing with Jeff Sessions, U.S. attorney general, not pictured, in Washington, D.C., U.S., on Wednesday, Oct. 18, 2017\. Sessions told senators he won't answer questions about his conversations with President Donald Trump over the firing of FBI Director James Comey. Senator Al Franken, a Democrat from Minnesota, listens during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing with Jeff Sessions, U.S. attorney general, not pictured, in Washington, D.C., U.S., on Wednesday, Oct. 18, 2017\. Sessions told senators he won't answer questions about his conversations with President Donald Trump over the firing of FBI Director James Comey. Zach Gibson—Bloomberg/Getty Images by [Maya Rhodan](https://time.com/author/maya-rhodan/) ## Maya Rhodan Nov 20, 2017 3:06 PM UTC Another woman has come forward to accuse Sen. Al Franken of touching her inappropriately, less than a week after [Senate leaders called for an ethics investigation](http://time.com/5028164/al-franken-groping-ethics-committee-investigation-leann-tweeden/) into a claim that the Minnesota Democrat groped and kissed a woman in 2006. In an interview with [CNN,](http://www.cnn.com/2017/11/20/politics/al-franken-inappropriate-touch-2010/index.html) Lindsay Menz said that Franken “put his hand full-fledged on my rear” when the two took a photo together at the 2010 Minnesota State Fair. Unlike the previous incident involving talk radio host [Leeann Tweeden,](http://time.com/5028172/leeann-tweeden-al-franken-apology/) this was alleged to have occurred while Franken was in office. “It wasn’t around my waist. It wasn’t around my hip or side. It was definitely on my butt,” Menz, 33, told [CNN. ](http://www.cnn.com/2017/11/20/politics/al-franken-inappropriate-touch-2010/index.html) The woman reportedly told several people after the incident occurred, including her mother, her father and her husband. The family was at the State Fair in a radio booth sponsored by her father’s small business when it happened and took photos with several politicians and celebrities that day, according to CNN. Menz also wrote about the incident on Facebook after she posted the photo she and Franken took. When her sister commented that the two were not “Bibles width apart” in the image, Menz wrote “Dude — Al Franken TOTALLY molested me! Creeper,” according to the report. In a statement to CNN, Franken said he did not remember taking the photo. Franken’s office did not immediately respond to a request from TIME. “I take thousands of photos at the state fair surrounded by hundreds of people, and I certainly don’t remember taking this picture,”he told CNN. “I feel badly that Ms. Menz came away from our interaction feeling disrespected.” When Tweeden shared her story alleging that Franken kissed and groped her while they were on a USO tour in 2006, the Senator asked that a Senate Ethics Committee investigation be launched. In a lengthy statement released last week, Franken also said that women “deserve to be heard, and believed.” “What people think of me in light of this is far less important than what people think of women who continue to come forward to tell their stories. They deserve to be heard, and believed, the statement read. “And they deserve to know that I am their ally and supporter. I have let them down and am committed to making it up to them.” After Tweeden came forward, according to [CNN](http://www.cnn.com/2017/11/20/politics/al-franken-inappropriate-touch-2010/index.html), Menz felt compelled to do the same, though she said she felt the radio anchor’s encounter was worse than hers. Speaking to CNN, Menz said she felt “gross” after the encounter. It’d be like being walking through the mall and some random person grabbing your butt,” she said. “You just feel gross. Like ew, I want to wash that off of me.” ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/5031492/al-franken-was-just-accused-of-inappropriate-touching-by-a-second-woman/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/5031492/al-franken-was-just-accused-of-inappropriate-touching-by-a-second-woman/"},"headline":"Al Franken Was Just Accused of Inappropriate Touching by a Second Woman","datePublished":"2017-11-20T15:06:59.000Z","dateModified":"2026-02-23T18:18:41.945Z","description":"'You just feel gross. Like ew, I want to wash that off of me'","url":"https://time.com/5031492/al-franken-was-just-accused-of-inappropriate-touching-by-a-second-woman/","keywords":["Congress","sexual harassment","al franken","sexual misconduct","onetime"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt6025a67707659176/6988e62e7cdbac5d86d5aeae/al-franken-ethics-investigation.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Maya Rhodan","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/maya-rhodan/"}],"articleSection":"Politics","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt6025a67707659176/6988e62e7cdbac5d86d5aeae/al-franken-ethics-investigation.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"Attorney General Jeff Sessions Testifies Before The Senate Judiciary Committee","caption":"Attorney General Jeff Sessions Testifies Before The Senate Judiciary Committee","creditText":"Zach Gibson—Bloomberg/Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/politics/","name":"Politics"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/congress/","name":"Congress"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/5031492/al-franken-was-just-accused-of-inappropriate-touching-by-a-second-woman/","name":"Al Franken Was Just Accused of Inappropriate Touching by a Second Woman"}}]}] ```