Democratic Minnesota Sen. Al Franken is facing pressure to quit as the party that once considered him a rising star now demands "zero tolerance" for sexual misconduct, The Washington Post reported.
On Thursday, Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif. — calling on Rep. John Conyers, D-Mich., to resign in the face of accusations he mistreated female aides — declared: "Zero tolerance means consequences for everyone," the Post reported.
And though no one in the Senate has made similar demands of Franken — whom five women have accused of inappropriate touching — repercussions seem inevitable, the Post reported.
"In light of Pelosi demanding that Conyers step down, I don't know how Franken can survive it," Jim Manley, a former top aide to former Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, a Nevada Democrat, told the Post.
According to the Post, two more Democrats in the House — caucus chairman Joseph Crowley of New York and Tim Ryan of Ohio — have called on both Franken and Conyers to leave Congress. Earlier in the week, Rep. Kathleen Rice, D-N.Y, also said both should quit, the Post reported.
"I haven't talked to a Democrat behind the scenes who thinks this guy should stay," political strategist Lis Smith told the Post.
Franken says he's not going anywhere.
"I know I've got a lot of work to do to regain people's trust," he said in a statement to the Post. "But I remain committed to continuing to work as hard as I can for my constituents."
Concerns about Franken also appear to be growing among Democratic donors, the Post reported.
"This is not complicated. Conyers should resign. Franken should resign. [Alabama GOP Senate candidate Ray] Moore should drop out or be defeated," Guy Cecil, chairman of Priorities USA, among the largest and most active Democratic super PACs, tweeted Thursday.
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