(Bloomberg) -- The Senate Ethics Committee said Thursday it opened a preliminary inquiry into allegations of sexual misconduct by Democratic Senator Al Franken of Minnesota.
Franken, 66, apologized and asked for an ethics investigation of himself after several women accused him of inappropriately kissing and groping them. He has given no indication that he plans to resign.
The Ethics Committee said in a statement that while it ordinarily doesn't comment on pending matters, in this instance it was confirming the inquiry.
Democrats have struggled to address the allegations against Franken, as well as Representative John Conyers, a Michigan Democrat, while maintaining their claim to be the party of women's rights and gender equality.
To contact the reporter on this story: Laurie Asséo in Washington at lasseo1@bloomberg.net.
To contact the editors responsible for this story: Joe Sobczyk at jsobczyk@bloomberg.net, Justin Blum
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