On Wednesday morning, a seventh woman came forward to accuse Al Franken of making unwanted sexual advances. Before the day was out—but after his colleagues called en masse for his resignation—another woman, journalist Tina Dupuy, published a piece in The Atlantic alleging Franken had groped her.
Dupuy describes the incident as happening at a 2009 Media Matters party celebrating Barack Obama’s first inauguration. She writes:
The town was buzzing with optimism, and one of the many events on our list was a swanky Media Matters party with Democratic notables everywhere. Then I saw Al Franken. I only bug celebrities for pictures when it’ll make my foster mom happy. She loves Franken, so I asked to get a picture with him. We posed for the shot. He immediately put his hand on my waist, grabbing a handful of flesh. I froze. Then he squeezed. At least twice.
I’d been married for two years at the time; I don’t let my husband touch me like that in public because I believe it diminishes me as a professional woman. Al Franken’s familiarity was inappropriate and unwanted. It was also quick; he knew exactly what he was doing.
Dupuy is now the eighth woman to come forward with allegations against the former comedian. Before that report, the senator’s office tweeted he will be making an announcement tomorrow after a wave of Democratic senators—first women, then some men—called for Franken to resign earlier in the day.
The Minnesota senator has been accused of groping, touching, and kissing women without their consent, at least occasionally using the excuse that the alleged misconduct was within his rights as a comedian.