Former President Bill Clinton had one reaction on Monday when asked about Sen. Al Franken’s widening sexual misconduct scandal — a “half-smirk.”
NBC News reporter Tammy Leitner was in Puerto Rico this week to cover hurricane damage and the 42nd president’s visit on recovery efforts. Her brief encounter with Mr. Clinton allowed for a single question, which focused on accusations against Mr. Fraken by broadcaster Leann Tweeden.
“[Bill Clinton] has been back in the news with the senator from New York, Kirsten Gillibrand, suggesting he would have had to resign in the current climate and, of course, Democrats facing questions about Senator Al Franken’s conduct,” host Kasie Hunt said, the Washington Free Beacon reported. “Any chance you talked to him about that?”
“I did, Kasie. I asked him about the senator’s recent comments, and he looked at me, kind of half-smirked, and kept going. He wanted nothing to do with that, so he didn’t give us an answer,” Ms. Leitner replied.
The Minnesota Democrat is accused of forcibly kissing Ms. Tweeden during a 2006 USO skit. He has also apologized for a picture in which he looms over her sleeping Ms. Tweeden while groping at her breasts.
The host then sarcastically said that she could not “imagine why” Mr. Clinton would silently smirk, a reference to his myriad sex scandals over the decades.
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Mr. Franken’s dilemma worsened on Monday as he was accused of groping a woman at the Minnesota state fair in 2010.
“I take thousands of photos at the state fair surrounded by hundreds of people, and I certainly don’t remember taking this picture,” the senator said after constituent Lindsay Menz told CNN that he squeezed her buttocks. “I feel badly that Ms. Menz came away from our interaction feeling disrespected.”
• Douglas Ernst can be reached at dernst@washingtontimes.com.
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