Former President Bill Clinton on Thursday seemed to defend former Minnesota Senator Al Franken against the sexual harassment allegations that spurred his resignation.
Clinton was speaking with PBS NewsHour’s Judy Woodruff about the Monica Lewinsky scandal when the PBS anchor compared his situation with that of the former senator.
“I assume you think that what happened with you was more serious than what happened with Senator — former Senator Al Franken,” said Woodruff. “He was driven from office, from the U.S. Senate. So, norms have changed. Do you think that’s a good thing?” (RELATED: Meet The News Anchor Who Was Groped By Al Franken)
“Well, in general, I think it’s a good thing, yes,” responded Clinton before launching into an apparent defense of Franken based on the fact that some of the women he worked with on “Saturday Night Live” came to his defense.
“I think that — I will be honest — the Franken case, for me, was a difficult case, a hard case,” said Clinton. “There may be things I don’t know. But I — maybe I’m just an old-fashioned person, but it seemed to me that there were 29 women on ‘Saturday Night Live’ that put out a statement for him, and that the first and most fantastic story was called, I believe, into question. Too late to wade into it now. I mean, I think it’s a grievous thing to take away from the people a decision they have made, especially when there is an election coming up again. But it’s done now, and I think that all of us should just be focusing on how to do better and how to go forward.”
Franken resigned from the Senate after being accused of groping and kissing LA radio news anchor Leeann Tweeden during a USO Tour in 2006. (RELATED: Al Franken And The MASSIVE Double Standards Of Democrats)
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