Vermont Sens. Patrick Leahy and Bernie Sanders have joined a number of other U.S. senators to call for Minnesota Democratic Sen. Al Franken to step down.
As of Wednesday afternoon, the two join a number of their male colleagues and 10 female senators who are publicly calling for Franken’s resignation in the wake of another allegation of sexual misconduct.
In a statement, Leahy said: “Senator Franken’s situation has become untenable. I am concerned that even a prompt Ethics Committee investigation and recommendations will not come soon enough. He has to step aside.”
In his statement regarding Franken, Sanders said: "The right thing is for him to resign. We are now at a crossroads in American culture. And it is an important one. The way we treat women in our country has been abysmal in almost every way."
Update 3:15 p.m. This post was updated to include a statement from Sanders, in addition to one from Leahy.
