Another Pol bites the dust! US Rep Trent Franks, [R-Ariz], resigns Immediately, he allegedly offered aide $5 million to be surrogate mother, but wanted to impregnate her personally
Yesterday conservative Arizona congressman Trent Franks promised to resign in January after it emerged that he offered an aide $5 million to be surrogate mother
He allegedly hinted he wanted to impregnate her personally
Franks,60, offered to resign at the end of January to prevent ‘sensationalized trial’ in current climate – Friday he quit in dramatic fashion
Three years after GOP US Rep Trent Franks and his wife Josephine had twins using a donor egg and a surrogate, but in 2008, he asked two ‘female subordinates’ to bear another child for them, his accusers said
Although Franks offered one woman $5 million, she balked thinking Franks wanted to impregnate her via sexual intercourse instead of an in vitro procedure
Franks who reportedly made love overtures to another aide in the past, allegedly made the request four times
Franks announced he’d step down immediately, came hours after his wife was hospitalized for an ‘ongoing ailment’
GOP Rep Trent Franks resigns over sexual harassment claims
Arizona Republican congressman Trent Franks said Friday that his resignation would be The congressman had announced Thursday that he would resign in January after two staffers complained he asked them to be surrogate mothers for his child, a day later he moved up his quit date and said he would leave Congress immediately.
In making the announcement on Thursday, Franks, a staunch conservative, said he wanted to prevent a ‘sensationalized trial’ in the current climate. 24 hours later, he quit in dramatic fashion.
One of the women who spoke to AP, said Franks offered her a staggering $5 million, on four separate occasions, if she were willing to carry his child.
The aides saw the proposition by Franks, who reportedly once tried to persuade a female aide that they were in love with each other, as unwanted sexual advances, believing that he wanted to impregnate them through sexual intercourse, Politico reports.
Surrogate mothers are typically inseminated via an in vitro procedure in a doctor’s office.
Josephine and Trent Franks with their twins
The end occurred when two female staffers came forward with allegationsd that Franks, a staunch conservative, asked them to bear his child in 2011, three years after he and his wife had twins using a donor egg and a surrogate.
Rep Franks explained that he decided to step down to prevent a ‘sensationalized trial’ after The House Ethics Committee said it would investigate him to see if his conduct ‘constitutes sexual harassment.’
Trent Franks and the twins. The couple wanted to expand the size of their family, although they struggled with infertility, he said Friday
But he’s leaving the U.S. Capitol early because his wife landed in the hospital to treat an unspecified chronic ailment just hours after his legislative career came crashing down.’Last night, my wife was admitted to the hospital in Washington, D.C. due to an ongoing ailment,’ Franks 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.’
Franks, a staunch conservative, asked two ‘female subordinates’ to bear his child in 2011, three years after he and his wife had twins using a donor egg and a surrogate.
The 60-year-old said in a statement on Thursday: ‘Due to my familiarity and experience with the process of surrogacy, I clearly became insensitive as to how the discussion of such an intensely personal topic might affect others.
‘I deeply regret that my discussion of this option and process in the workplace caused distress.’
Franks said he felt a fair investigation was impossible in the current climate as sexual harassment allegations continue to emerge in the wake of the Harvey Weinstein scandal.
He added: ‘I am deeply convinced I would be unable to complete a fair House Ethics investigation before distorted and sensationalized versions of this story would put me, my family, my staff, and my noble colleagues in the House of Representatives through hyperbolized public excoriation.
‘Rather than allow a sensationalized trial by media [to] damage those things I love most, this morning I notified House leadership that I will be leaving Congress as of January 31st, 2018.
‘It is with the greatest sadness, that for the sake of the causes I deeply love, I must now step back from the battle I have spent over three decades fighting. … Franks said he wanted to make clear that he has never sexually harassed anyone.
He added: ‘I have absolutely never physically intimidated, coerced, or had, or attempted to have, any sexual contact with any member of my congressional staff.’
House Speaker Paul Ryan said in a statement that he had been told about the allegations against Franks last week.
He said he ‘found the allegations to be serious and requiring action’ and told Franks that he should resign after informing the ethics committee.
Last night it was reported that rumors had been swirling since at least 2012.
‘Me Too’ Capitol Roll Call
Senator Al Franken, [D-Minn] – ‘I, of all people am aware that there is some irony in the fact that I am leaving while a man who has bragged on tape about his history of sexual assault sits the Oval Office’
House Democratic Juggernaut, John Conyers, [ D-MI] – Resigned in the face of overwhelming evidence, even as he denied the allegations while admitting paying sexual harassment settlement
Rep Blake Farenthold, [R-Tex] – Three years ago his former communications director, Lauren Greene, accused Farenthold of making sexually charged comments designed to gauge whether she was interested in a sexual relationship.
Rep Trent Franks [R-Ariz] – ‘My wife and I have long struggled with infertility’
Thursday, Democratic Senator Al Franken announced his resignation as well,as the floodgates of sexual harassment allegations seemed about to open. Reading his resignation letter on the Senate floor, Franken said : ‘I know in my heart that nothing I’ve done as a senator – nothing – has brought dishonor on this institution,’ he said. ‘Nevertheless, today I am announcing that in the coming weeks, I will be resigning as a member of the United States Senate.’
Democratic Representative John Conyers also resigned earlier this week amid sexual harassment accusations that he has denied.
The House Ethics Committee said on Thursday it was investigating yet another politician.
Blake Farenthold, a Republican representative from Texas, faces allegations of sexual harassment, discrimination and retaliation involving a former female staff member. In 2014, his former communications director, Lauren Greene, accused Farenthold of making sexually charged comments designed to gauge whether she was interested in a sexual relationship.
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