What specific sexual misconduct accusations were made against Al Franken and who accused him?

1. The first, widely publicized accusation — Leeann Tweeden and the USO tour photo

Leeann Tweeden, a Los Angeles radio host, wrote that during a 2006 USO tour Franken kissed her without consent and that a staged photograph from the trip showed Franken posing with his hands over her breasts while she slept; that allegation triggered immediate public attention and calls for an ethics review ^{[3] [4]}.

2. Multiple women described groping and non-consensual touching

Following Tweeden’s piece, a number of women came forward saying Franken had touched their buttocks or otherwise groped them at campaign events or public appearances; contemporary reporting summarized the tally as at least seven to eight women and some outlets later cited up to nine accusers ^{[1] [2] [5]}.

3. Specific types of allegations reported by outlets

The allegations published contemporaneously included forcible kissing (Tweeden), groping of buttocks at campaign events, and an Army veteran’s claim that Franken touched her breast while posing for a photo during an earlier troop-entertainment tour—each allegation varied in detail and in the level of corroboration reported by different outlets ^{[4] [6] [7]}.

4. Franken’s response and calls for investigation

Franken publicly apologized in part, said some memories differed and called for an ethics investigation; he also at times disputed specific recollections. Several Democratic senators urged him to resign rather than await a full Ethics Committee probe, and Franken ultimately announced his resignation in December 2017 ^{[6] [2] [8]}.

5. How many accusers? Different outlets, different counts

News organizations reported different totals: Time wrote “at least eight women,” People referenced seven women including Tweeden, and later commentary and some outlets cited nine accusers; the variance reflects ongoing reporting, new statements, and inclusion or exclusion of anonymous or less-detailed claims ^{[1] [2] [5]}.

6. The role of contemporaneous reporting vs. later commentary

Initial stories in November–December 2017 aggregated multiple accounts and contemporaneous items such as photos and affidavits; later retrospectives and interviews (including Franken’s own reflections) revisited the episode and the handling of allegations, sometimes noting that Franken felt he lacked due process while others emphasized the pressure Democrats applied ^{[8] [5] [3]}.

7. Political dynamics and reactions inside Congress

Senate leaders from both parties referred Tweeden’s accusations to the Senate Ethics Committee, and pressure from fellow Democrats mounted quickly; reporting emphasized that Franken’s case unfolded amid a national reckoning on sexual misconduct and that party leaders judged his continued service untenable ^{[9] [6] [1]}.

8. Limitations in the available sources and what they do not say

Available sources in this packet do not provide a definitive, single list naming every accuser with full detail or the results of any concluded Ethics Committee investigation; some outlets cite differing totals and not all accounts were pursued to litigation or formal findings in the material provided here ^{[1] [5] [6]}.

9. Competing viewpoints and lingering disputes

Reporting shows a split between those who framed Franken’s behavior as part of broader misconduct and those (including Franken later) who said he was denied due process and that some memories differed; outlets note both his apologies and his later expressions of regret about how the resignation occurred ^{[5] [3] [8]}.

10. Takeaway for readers

Contemporary reporting establishes that multiple women publicly accused Franken of unwanted kissing, groping, or touching, with Leeann Tweeden’s forcible-kiss and photo allegation serving as the catalyst; precise totals and legal conclusions vary across outlets and the supplied sources do not include a final investigative finding ^{[3] [2] [4]}.