New York Daily News

‘SHAME’ ON CREEPY AL

Franken’s unfunny antics in war zone

- BY TERENCE CULLEN, DENIS SLATTERY and GINGER ADAMS OTIS

PRESIDENT TRUMP, who so far has stayed silent on the numerous sexual harassment allegation­s levied against Alabama Republican Roy Moore, returned to his usual bombastic form Thursday to blast Democrat Al Franken, a Minnesota senator now mired in a sexual assault scandal of his own.

Franken was hit with an accusation earlier in the day from California radio host and former model Leeann Tweeden, who said the former SNL funnyman groped and kissed her without her consent a decade ago.

That led to calls for an ethics probe into the Minnesota Democrat — who apologized and said he was ashamed of his behavior — and a late-night series of critical tweets from President Trump.

“The Al Frankensti­en picture is really bad, speaks a thousand words. Where do his hands go in pictures 2, 3, 4, 5 & 6 while she sleeps? ..... ,” the President tweeted, apparently without realizing that he misspelled “Frankenste­in.”

Trump was talking about a picture from Franken and Tweeden’s time together in 2006, when they both went on a December 2006 USO tour that visited Kuwait, Iraq and Afghanista­n.

It shows the politician placing his hands over Tweeden’s breasts while she appears to be asleep on an airplane.

Tweeden, her eyes closed, is wearing a military-style helmet and flak jacket in the photo as Franken smiles at the camera and flexes his hands over Tweeden’s chest.

The radio newswoman also described how the married father of two repeatedly harassed her during the tour.

Franken, who was elected to the Senate in 2008, wrote a script involving the two kissing that he wanted them to perform during the tour.

Tweeden, 44, says that the SNL alum made her increasing­ly uncomforta­ble after forcing her to rehearse the scene.

“He came at me, put his hand on the back of my head, mashed his lips against mine and aggressive­ly stuck his tongue in my mouth,” she wrote.

Trump followed up his initial tweet bashing Franken with a second salvo.

“And to think that just last week he was lecturing anyone who would listen about sexual harassment and respect for women. Lesley Stahl tape?” he wrote, alluding to a 1995 article that surfaced Thursday in which Franken talks about a skit he pitched that involved drugging and raping CBS reporter Lesley Stahl.

But Trump hasn’t been as outspoken about Moore, now in a tight race against a Democrat for Alabama’s open Senate seat.

Eight women have come forward to say Moore harassed them when they were teens and he was in this 30s. But Trump’s only comments have come through his White House spokeswoma­n, one released last week and one Thursday.

“Like most Americans the President believes we cannot allow a mere allegation, in this case one from many years ago, to destroy a person’s life,” press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders told reporters last week aboard Air Force One.

One Thursday, Sanders said the president believes Moore should step down if the allegation­s are true, but that he “trusts the voters” to make the right choice.

Franken, 66, has cited the 2006 USO trip as the deciding factor in making the leap from comedy to the Capitol.

At the time of the tour, Franken, known for his “SNL” character Stuart Smalley, was not yet a senator. He was elected in 2008 and took office in 2009.

Franken apologized in a terse response Thursday before issuing a lengthy statement that invited an ethics probe — joining Senate leaders from both sides of the aisle.

“I respect women. I don’t respect men who don’t. And the fact that my own actions have given people a good reason to doubt that makes me feel ashamed,” he said.

Tweeden said she accepted the lawmaker’s apology and isn’t calling for Franken to step down — unless other women come forward.

“People make mistakes and of course he knew he made a mistake,” Tweeden said at a press conference Thursday afternoon. “So yes, I do accept that apology. There’s no reason why I shouldn’t accept his apology.”

Tweeden said it is up to Congress to decide if an ethics investigat­ion into Franken’s behavior should move forward.

In addition to calling for an ethics probe, several of Franken’s fellow Democrats vowed to give campaign donations from the former funnyman’s political action committee to charity.

 ??  ?? Al Franken (left) apologized for pervy photo (above) he posed for with sleeping Leeann Tweeden in 2006. The radio host also says she was victim of unwanted kiss from the future Minnesota senator.
Al Franken (left) apologized for pervy photo (above) he posed for with sleeping Leeann Tweeden in 2006. The radio host also says she was victim of unwanted kiss from the future Minnesota senator.

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