Al Franken will not appear at Bill Nelson’s fundraiser

U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson’s office says fellow Democrat Al Franken will not appear at his campaign fundraiser Saturday, a decision revealed three hours after Franken was accused of sexually harassing and groping a radio anchor.

Franken was scheduled to appear at a Nelson event at the home of former gubernatorial candidate Alex Sink in Thonotosassa near Tampa.

The Minnesota senator was accused by Los Angeles radio anchor Leeann Tweeden of forcibly kissing her during a 2006 USO tour.

She also revealed a photo of Franken posing with his hands on her breasts as she slept on a plane returning from the tour they performed at for military personnel.

It happened two years before the one-time comedian was elected to the Senate.

Franken apologized in a statement, adding, “I am asking that an ethics investigation be undertaken, and I will gladly cooperate.”

He admitted the picture was real, saying in his statement, “I don’t know what was in my head when I took that picture, and it doesn’t matter. There’s no excuse. I look at it now and I feel disgusted with myself. It isn’t funny. It’s completely inappropriate.”

In his own statement, Nelson said, “Sexual harassment is never acceptable.”

“The Senate Ethics committee will fully investigate this troubling incident, as I believe they should,” he said.

The fundraiser will still go on as scheduled without Franken, Nelson’s office said.

Nelson is running for reelection for a fourth term next year and could face a challenge from Rick Scott, who is term-limited as governor.

A Mason-Dixon Polling & Research poll in October showed both Nelson and Scott with 44 percent support and 12 percent undecided.