--- title: Al Franken Speaks Out About Sexual Harassment Allegations description: Franken told Minnesota media outlets he was ashamed and embarrassed, but looked forward to returning to the Senate Monday. canonical: https://time.com/5037332/al-franken-sexual-harassment-allegations-response/ author: Alana Abramson article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2017-11-26T21:00:10.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-10-12T08:32:46.044Z article:section: Politics og:title: 'I’m Embarrassed.' Al Franken Speaks Publicly About Sexual Harassment Allegations og:description: He says he will return to work on Monday og:url: https://time.com/5037332/al-franken-sexual-harassment-allegations-response/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt77092918b67365c0/6988e61afb4eacf3e889497d/al-franken-sexual-assault.jpeg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 3000 og:image:height: 1688 og:image:alt: Senate Energy Committee Holds Hearing On Recovery Hurricane Efforts In Puerto Rico And U.S. Virgin Islands og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: 'I’m Embarrassed.' Al Franken Speaks Publicly About Sexual Harassment Allegations twitter:description: He says he will return to work on Monday twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt77092918b67365c0/6988e61afb4eacf3e889497d/al-franken-sexual-assault.jpeg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # 'I’m Embarrassed and Ashamed.' Al Franken Speaks Publicly About Sexual Harassment Allegations > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: September 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. 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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. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/newsletters?i=69b971d7-101e-41c1-9ff8-1d9ef4e274af&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1) ## Video: Eight Women Accuse Sen Al. Franken Of Sexual Misconduct [Watch (HLS stream): Eight Women Accuse Sen Al. Franken Of Sexual Misconduct](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/fsKRenSb.m3u8) (2:31)  _Published 2017-11-16. Democratic Sen. Ron Wyden of Oregon said he expects Sen. Al Franken to resign on Thursday as at least 23 of the Minnesota Democrat’s colleagues called for him to step down._  by [Alana Abramson](https://time.com/author/alana-abramson/)  ## Alana Abramson Nov 26, 2017 9:00 PM UTC Democratic Sen. Ron Wyden of Oregon said he expects Sen. Al Franken to resign on Thursday as at least 23 of the Minnesota Democrat’s colleagues called for him to step down.  by [Alana Abramson](https://time.com/author/alana-abramson/)  ## Alana Abramson Nov 26, 2017 9:00 PM UTC Minnesota Sen. Al Franken spoke publicly about the sexual harassment allegations against him Sunday, expressing shame and embarrassment, but remaining committed to his work in Congress. “I know I have a lot of work to do to regain the trust of the people I’ve let down, the people of Minnesota, my friends and colleagues, everyone who counts on me to be a champion for women,” Franken [told Minnesota newspaper the _Star Tribune_ Sunday, ](http://www.startribune.com/ashamed-franken-says-he-ll-return-to-work-on-monday/460108233/) describing himself as “embarrassed and ashamed.” He told the _Tribune_ he will return to work on Monday, and that he was looking forward to it. He also spoke on [Minnesota Public Radio](https://www.mprnews.org/story/2017/11/26/sen-al-franken-this-has-been-a-shock-to-me), saying that he had no intention of resigning from his role in the Senate. “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 of this and I will work with them in any way I can,” he said. These were the first media interviews Franken has given since he has found himself ensconced in a wave of sexual harassment allegations from four different women. [Leeann Tweeden](http://time.com/5027428/leann-tweeden-senator-al-franken-picture/), a model, sportscaster and radio host wrote in a Nov. 16 blog post that she and Franken were on a USO tour in the Middle East in 2006 when he forced her to kiss him, and then groped her while she was asleep. Franken was not yet a senator at the time. Four days later, another woman, Lindsay Menz, [told CNN in an interview](http://time.com/5031492/al-franken-was-just-accused-of-inappropriate-touching-by-a-second-woman/) that Franken put his hand on her rear while taking a photograph with her at the Minnesota State Fair in 2010. Franken apologized to both Tweeden and Menz for the photographs, but said he recalled the incident with Tweeden differently, and does not remember taking the photograph with Menz, sentiments he conveyed again on Sunday. Franken has also joined his colleagues in calling for a Senate investigation into his conduct. On Nov. 22, _HuffPost_ [cited accounts](https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/al-franken-two-more-women-groping%5Fus%5F5a15a455e4b09650540ec295) from two more women who said Franken touched their butts during campaign events in 2007 and 2008\. “It’s difficult to respond to anonymous accusers, and I don’t remember those campaign events,” Franken told _HuffPost_ in a statement. Franken reiterated in his interview with the _Tribune_ that he did not remember the photographs and would never intentionally act like that. “I just recognize that I need to be more careful and a lot more sensitive in these situations,” he told the _Tribune_. Franken said he didn’t know if more women would come forward with allegations against him, adding that this entire experience has been a shock to him, and he has no recollection of women ever telling him he made them uncomfortable. “I’m someone who hugs people and I’ve learned from these stories that in some of these encounters I’ve crossed the line; I know that any number is too many,” Franken told MPR. “If they feel that this encounter — my embrace or something has been inappropriate, I respect their feelings about that. I think women need to be heard.” ## Transcript [00:00] [ MUSIC ] [00:11] [ MUSIC ] [ MUSIC ] [00:31] [ MUSIC ] All [00:44] I could [01:02] think about was, that's what you wrote that in the script [01:05] for? So you could do that to me? I was angry. I wanted [01:08] to punch him in the face. I mean, so many things were [01:11] going through my mind. 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