What were the specific allegations against Al Franken during the #MeToo movement?

1. The first public allegation: a forced kiss on a USO tour and a photograph

Conservative radio host Leeann Tweeden said Franken forcibly kissed her during a 2006 USO rehearsal and later circulated a photo from the tour in which Franken appears to reach toward her while she slept; Tweeden’s narrative and that photograph were central to the initial reporting and public outcry ^{[1] [2]}.

2. Multiple women described similar hands-on incidents

Following Tweeden’s allegation, additional women came forward saying Franken had groped or inappropriately touched them—accounts included groping during photo opportunities and unwanted kisses or embraces spanning more than a decade, which together built a pattern that propelled political pressure ^{[1] [3] [4]}.

3. Specific acts alleged: kisses, gropes, and a waist squeeze

Reported allegations covered a range of conduct: allegedly forcing an unwanted kiss, groping breasts or buttocks during photo ops, and at least one claim of Franken squeezing a woman’s waist at a party (Tina Dupuy’s account); one anonymous congressional aide also alleged an attempted kiss at his radio studio ^{[5] [1] [3]}.

4. Political consequences and the speed of the response

Within weeks of the first report, dozens of Senate Democrats publicly demanded Franken’s resignation; Senate leaders told him to step down or face censure and loss of committee assignments, and Franken resigned in December 2017 amid that mounting political pressure ^{[5] [3]}.

5. Reporting that later complicated the narrative

Subsequent long-form reporting (notably a New Yorker piece) and later commentary questioned aspects of some allegations, argued that some incidents may have been misremembered or taken out of context, and prompted a debate over proportionality and due process—some Democrats later said they regretted the haste of their calls for resignation ^{[6] [7] [2]}.

6. How media and commentators framed the allegations

Coverage split along interpretive lines: many outlets and commentators presented Franken’s acts as part of the #MeToo reckoning with powerful men’s misconduct, while others and later pieces framed his behavior as crude, ill-judged comedy or personal awkwardness rather than criminal assault—this produced a broader argument over whether Franken’s removal was appropriate or an overreach ^{[1] [6] [7]}.

7. Franken’s responses and later reflections

Franken apologized publicly to some accusers and at times disputed details of other allegations; he later said he regretted resigning quickly and sought an ethics hearing, while some colleagues privately said they wished they had afforded him more due process before demanding his resignation ^{[3] [2] [6]}.

8. Limitations of the available reporting

Available sources document the nature of each allegation in summary but do not provide complete investigatory records or legal adjudications arising from the claims; the reporting includes both contemporaneous accounts (accusers’ statements and a photo) and later investigative pieces that raise questions about context and memory ^{[2] [6] [7]}. Available sources do not mention a formal Senate Ethics Committee adjudication concluding guilt or innocence.

9. Why the Franken case matters for #MeToo debates

The Franken episode became a flashpoint in the movement because it combined a graphic photograph, multiple accusers, and rapid political consequences—its aftermath spurred discussion about standards of accountability, proportionality of punishment, and how institutions should handle allegations involving public figures ^{[1] [6] [7]}.

If you want, I can list each named accuser and the specific allegation attributed to her as reported in these sources, or compile the timeline of public statements and resignations documented in the same articles.