WASHINGTON _ Nearly simultaneously, a series of Senate Democratic women issued calls for Democratic Sen. Al Franken to resign Wednesday morning including Patty Murray, a trusted lieutenant to Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer and rising star Kamala Harris.
"I'm shocked and appalled by Sen. Franken's behavior," Murray said in a statement. "It's clear to me that this has been a deeply harmful, persistent problem and a clear pattern over a long period of time.
"It's time for him to step aside," she said.
Murray was not alone.
"As elected officials, we should be held to the highest standards _ not the lowest. The allegations against Sen. Franken describe behavior that cannot be tolerated. While he's entitled to an Ethics Committee hearing, I believe he should step aside to let someone else serve," New York Democratic Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand said in a morning Tweet.
The message from Gillibrand was roughly simultaneous as a statement from Sen. Mazie K. Hirono, a Democrat from Hawaii who serves on the Judiciary Committee with Franken.
"Today, I am calling on my colleague Al Franken to step aside. I've struggled with this decision because he's been a good Senator and I consider him a friend. But that cannot excuse his behavior and his mistreatment of women," Hirono said. "TIME Magazine, by naming 'The Silence Breakers' as their 'Person of the Year,' is recognizing what women have always known: there are men among us who use their positions of power and influence to manipulate, harass, and assault women. What is new here is the women. We are, all of us, speaking out, naming names and demanding that the harassers take responsibility for their behavior."
The calls for Franken to leave the Senate come amid an increasing number of allegations of inappropriate conduct toward women by the Minnesota senator.
Fellow Democratic Sens. Maggie Hassan of New Hampshire and Claire McCaskill of Missouri also called for Franken to step aside from his seat within 10 minutes of the original statements.
