Former Saturday Night Live (SNL) comedian and now U.S. Senator from Minnestoa Al Franken has been accused on forcing a kiss on and tongue in the mouth of former model and L.A. radio anchor Leeann Tweeden. He has also been accused of groping Tweeden on the same USO tour in 2006 while she slept.
DC Comics artist Mick Gray had shared a post by a Facebook group that didn’t believe Tweeden’s claim because she posed for scantily clad pictures during her modeling days.
Mick Gray’s post was quickly denounced, including by fellow artist Wade von Grawbadger. At the time, Gray asserted that “THIS DOES NOT MAKE IT RIGHT! I was just this posting this to see another side for you to thing about“.
The post and picture was removed by Mick Gray sometime later, but we have it here.
Since that original Facebook hoopla, two things have happened of note.
The first update is that Mick Gray shared another Facebook post in support of Senator Al Franken noting that he “fights for women’s rights” and encouraging…
…folks to sign a Change.org campaign in support of Senator Al Franken.
That campaign includes a line that indicates that:
- “Senator Al Franken is a dedicated, hard-working, respected legislator. He should remain in the Senate.”
“There is a difference between abuse and a mistake.“
Now, I don’t know the difference between abuse and an abuse-related mistake. That said, I do know that there is a scale of seriousness legally and criminally to abuse. For that reason, Franken’s alleged conduct does not yet rise to the serial sex abuse allegations made against Roy Moore, Harvey Weinstein, Kevin Spacey, James Toback, Eddie Berganza or even Donald Trump, but even one allegation of non-consensual kissing, tonguing and groping could still be seen as criminal conduct and not as a simple mistake if it were investigated and corroborated by police.
The second update is that a second accuser has alleged groping by Senator Franken.
Lindsay Menz and her husband allege that at 2010 Minnestota State fair, when she approached the Senator for a picture, that he “pulled me in really close, like awkward close, and as my husband took the picture, he put his hand full-fledged on my rear. It was wrapped tightly around my butt cheek… I felt gross. It’d be like being walking through the mall and some random person grabbing your butt. You just feel gross. Like ew, I want to wash that off of me.”
Lindsay Menz’s allegation was corroborated by her husband, her mother and father, as well as others. She also posted about the incident when it happened on Facebook on August 27, 2010 noting with the above picture that “Dude — Al Franken TOTALLY molested me! Creeper!”
In response to this latest allegation, Senator Franken issued the following statement.
- “I take thousands of photos at the state fair surrounded by hundreds of people, and I certainly don’t remember taking this picture. I feel badly that Ms. Menz came away from our interaction feeling disrespected.“
In closing, Al Franken under the law is considered innocent until proven guilty.
That said, the whole thrust behind the #MeToo movement was to a give a voice to accusers against powerful celebrities and figures.
As of press time, Mick Gray continues to have the link to the Change.org petition visible.
