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Why is Matt Gaetz being compared to Al Franken? Internet asks rep to resign as ex-senator did over 'groping' pic

Al Franken resigned after a photo emerged , where he was seen holding his hands above conservative talk-radio host Leann Tweeden's breasts while she was asleep wearing body armor and a helmet

After Florida Rep Matt Gaetz became the focus of a federal sex-trafficking investigation over an alleged relationship he had with a minor girl, calls for his resignation from Congress grew stronger. Netizens started comparing his case with that of former Minnesota senator and comedian Al Franken, who had resigned in January 2018, after several allegations of sexual misconduct were made against him.

According to a bombshell report by The New York Times on Tuesday, March 30, “Investigators are examining whether Mr Gaetz violated federal sex trafficking laws, the people said. A variety of federal statutes make it illegal to induce someone under 18 to travel over state lines to engage in sex in exchange for money or something of value. The Justice Department regularly prosecutes such cases, and offenders often receive severe sentences. It was not clear how Mr Gaetz met the girl, believed to be 17 at the time of encounters about two years ago that investigators are scrutinizing, according to two of the people.”

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Acknowledging an ongoing DOJ investigation against him, Gaetz told Axios, "I believe that there are people at the Department of Justice who are trying to criminalize my sexual conduct, you know when I was a single guy." Gaetz also emphasized that he was 'absolutely' confident that none of the women in his past were underage. "The allegations of sexual misconduct against me are false. They are rooted in an extortion effort against my family for $25 million … in exchange for making this case go away," he told the outlet. 

Why did Al Franken resign?

On November 16, 2017, conservative talk-radio host Leeann Tweeden alleged in a blog post and an interview with her radio station, 790 KABC, that Franken forcibly kissed her on a 2006 USO tour during a rehearsal for a skit. She wrote, "I said 'OK' so he would stop badgering me. We did the line leading up to the kiss and then he came at me, put his hand on the back of my head, mashed his lips against mine and aggressively stuck his tongue in my mouth." She said she pushed him away, feeling "disgusted and violated".

Around the same time, a photo emerged from the 2006 tour, where Franken was seen holding his hands above Tweeden's breasts while she was asleep wearing body armor and a helmet. CNBC's John Harwood said at the time: "That pic was obviously a joke, not groping, just like LeeAnn Tweeden wrapping her leg around Robin Williams and smacking his butt; entertainment for soldiers deployed overseas is raunchy like that," referring to video taken of Tweeden "humping" the married Williams on the 2004 USO tour.

In response, Franken said, "I certainly don't remember the rehearsal for the skit in the same way, but I send my sincerest apologies to Leeann... As to the photo, it was clearly intended to be funny but wasn't. I shouldn't have done it." Franken also issued a longer apology, which Tweeden accepted. However, in the days that followed, seven additional women came forward with allegations of inappropriate behavior during photo ops.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Minority Leader Chuck Schumer sent Tweeden's accusations to the Senate Ethics Committee for review and on November 30, the committee announced that it was investigating allegations against him. Following some liberal groups and commentators, including the Indivisible movement and Sally Kohn, calling on Franken to resign, on December 6, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer told then-senator that he had to announce his resignation if he did not want to be censured and stripped of committee assignments.

Franken resigned on January 2, 2018. In his resignation speech, he made comparisons to Republican politicians, saying he was "aware of the irony" that then-President Donald Trump remained in office despite the comments he made in the Access Hollywood tape released a month before his election. 

'Gaetz needs to resign'

Following reports of the investigation against Gaetz, people have called on him to resign, citing Franken's example. "If Al Franken needed to resign, so does Matt Gaetz," one of them said, while another said, "Okay, so real talk... A photo of Al Franken fake honking a woman's breasts from his career as a comic resulted in his resignation from the Senate. Greene, Boebert, Cruz and now Gaetz are all still in office. Can we stop pretending we hold both parties to the same standards?"

A third commented, "Katie Hill. Al Franken. Both resigned with far less damning accusations than what Matt Gaetz is currently accused of, with the NYT having the receipts. Gaetz needs to resign." One more noted, "Matt Gaetz: geez remember when the R's went ballistic over Al Franken?" Another remarked, "Nothing Katie Hill or Al Franken ever did amounts to even a third of what Matt Gaetz is accused of, but he still has his job. #MattGaetzRESIGN" The next noted, "And to think that Al Franken resigned over a skit for national TV"

A commenter tweeted, "I'm old enough to remember how Al Franken was hounded into resigning because of a fully-clothed, non-contact, joke photo." One more said, "Let's not forget that Senator Al Franken resigned over this picture, which was taken when he was a .... drum roll.... a comedian! Will Matt Gaetz ever resign?" A person reacted with, "I get pissed off every time I think about Al Franken getting run out of town on a rail and these bastards get away with everything. The double standard has gotten really old. I'm also sick of the gaslighting." Another added, "Remember all the furor over Al Franken and this from 2006 when he wasn’t a Senator? With Gaetz, not a peep from the GOP..."