Embattled Democratic Senator Al Franken (MN) has indicated that he has no intention of resigning despite being accused by multiple women of sexual misconduct — and now photos have emerged of him grabbing a woman’s breast and buttocks.
Newly-released photos, obtained exclusively by Emily Smith at Page Six, show Franken grabbing “self-described feminist” Arianna Huffington in a 2000 photoshoot that was never published.
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Smith reports that the images were taken for a magazine and include “a number of frames” that show Franken grabbing Huffington’s buttocks.
According to Smith and her sources, the photo of Franken and Huffington on the bed shows Franken grabbing Huffington’s breast.
“Franken was clowning around, but it really isn’t funny,” said a source from the shoot. “That’s his tactic, pretend like it’s all a big joke. Arianna was pushing his hands away. He was groping her. There was some fun attached to it, but she wasn’t enjoying it. She definitely told him to stop and pushed him away.”
A second woman, Minnesota native Lindsay Menz, accused Franken of sexually assaulting her while taking a photo in 2010.
“[Franken] pulled me in really close, like awkward close, and as my husband took the picture, he put his hand full-fledged on my rear. It was wrapped tightly around my butt cheek,” Metz said.
A spokesperson for Franken said on Monday that the Minnesota senator has no plans of retiring.
“He is spending time with his family in Washington, D.C., and will be through the Thanksgiving holiday, and he’s doing a lot of reflecting,” the spokesperson said.
Franken’s office did not respond to a request for comment from Smith after the Huffington photos were released.