UPDATED: Rep. Trent Franks, facing ethics investigation, says he will resign immediately
Last edited Fri Dec 8, 2017, 06:29 PM - Edit history (1)
Source: The Washington Post
By Mike DeBonis December 8 at 3:34 PM
Rep. Trent Franks (R-Ariz.), facing an ethics investigation over alleged sexual harassment, announced Friday that he will resign immediately following his wifes admission to the hospital.
Franks had said Thursday that he would resign at the end of January but said Friday that his wifes ailment had prompted him to change his plans and immediately step down.
Last night, my wife was admitted to the hospital in Washington, D.C. due to an ongoing ailment, he said in a statement. After discussing options with my family, we came to the conclusion that the best thing for our family now would be for me to tender my previous resignation effective today, December 8th, 2017.
On Thursday, the House Ethics Committee said it would create a special subcommittee to investigate Franks for conduct that constitutes sexual harassment and/or retaliation for opposing sexual harassment.
Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/powerpost/rep-trent-franks-facing-ethics-investigation-says-he-will-resign-immediately/2017/12/08/bec2f630-dc55-11e7-b859-fb0995360725_story.html
UPDATE:
Female aides said Franks suggested intercourse to impregnate them
By RACHAEL BADE and JAKE SHERMAN 12/08/2017 03:54 PM EST
Arizona Rep. Trent Franks allegedly made unwanted advances toward female staffers in his office and retaliated against one who rebuffed him, according to House GOP sources with knowledge of a complaint against him.
The allegations, which reached Speaker Paul Ryan and top GOP leaders in recent days, led to Franks' sudden resignation this week. Franks originally announced that he would resign on Jan. 31, 2018. But just hours after POLITICO inquired about the allegations, he sped up his resignation and left office Friday.
The sources said Franks approached two female staffers about acting as a potential surrogate for him and his wife, who has struggled with fertility issues for years. But the aides were concerned that Franks was asking to have sexual relations with them. It was not clear to the women whether he was asking about impregnating the women through sexual intercourse or in vitro fertilization. Franks opposes abortion rights as well as procedures that discard embryos.
A former staffer also alleged that Franks tried to persuade a female aide that they were in love by having her read an article that described how a person knows theyre in love with someone, the sources said. One woman believed she was the subject of retribution after rebuffing Franks. While she enjoyed access to the congressman before the incident, that access was revoked afterward, she told Republican leaders.
more
https://www.politico.com/story/2017/12/08/trent-franks-sex-surrogacy-impregnate-287808?loap_a1
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Trent Franks Resigns From Congress
Paige Lavender, HuffPostDecember 8, 2017
Rep. Trent Franks (R-Ariz.) resigned from Congress Friday, despite his earlier announcement that he would step aside next year.
In a statement Thursday, Franks said the House Ethics Committee is investigating his discussion of surrogacy with two previous female subordinates, making each feel uncomfortable.
On Friday, Franks said his wife was admitted to a hospital in Washington, D.C., the day before due to an ongoing ailment.
After discussing options with my family, we came to the conclusion that the best thing for our family now would be for me to tender my previous resignation effective today, December 8th, 2017, he said.
https://www.yahoo.com/news/trent-franks-resigns-congress-202730251.html?soc_trkgcm&soc_src60f73942-c8f9-11e5-bc86-fa163e798f6a&.tsrcnotification-brknews
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