Trent Franks stepping down from Congress amid claims of inappropriate behavior
Trent Franks stepping down from Congress amid claims of inappropriate behavior
Ronald J. Hansen,Yvonne Wingett Sanchez,Eliza Collins and Dan Nowicki, The Republic | azcentral.comPublished 3:22 p.m. MT Dec. 7, 2017 | Updated 3:39 p.m. MT Dec. 7, 2017
The Committee on House Administration convened Thursday aimed to overhaul the 1995 Congressional Accountability Act. (Dec. 7) AP
https://www.gannett-cdn.com/-mm-/9a6...066-franks.jpg
(Photo: Associated Press)
Trent Franks, the dean of Arizona's House Republicans, is stepping down amid claims of inappropriate behavior, according to a GOP source familiar with the decision.
His decision to quit the House of Representatives would come on the same day Minnesota Sen. Al Franken, a Democrat, announced his own departure due to complaints of sexual harassment and as other members of Congress are asked about secret legal settlements for similar issues.
Franks' office could not be reached for comment Thursday.
“We will have a statement a little bit later, but that’s all I can tell you right now,” Franks told Roll Call. “The statement will explain.”
Politico also reported Franks planned to resign, citing a Republican operative.
On the floor of the House, Franks was seen huddling with several members who appeared to pray with him.
Franks' time in office
In his eight terms representing the West Valley in Washington, Franks has been a stalwart social conservative on Capitol Hill, frequently citing the Bible and denouncing abortion. He has long made protecting children a centerpiece of his work in Washington.
Franks, 60, is among the wealthiest members of Congress, with a net worth between $5 million and $54 million, based on House financial disclosures for 2016. His wealth is largely tied to stock in Trinity Petroleum, an oil and gas company operated with his brothers.
While Franks has often been quick to invoke religious-based morality, he has been largely silent on the unfolding national reckoning on sexual harassment.
For example, Franks appears to have said nothing in his usual social-media channels about Roy Moore, the Republican nominee in next week's election to permanently fill an Alabama senate seat. Several women have said Moore sought intimate relations with them decades ago when they were younger than 18 and he was in his 30s.
Last week Franks declined to answer a request by The Arizona Republic about whether he was aware of any legal settlements to resolve claims against him involving sexual harassment or creating a hostile workplace for women.
Past controversies
Franks kept a relatively low profile for much of his congressional tenure. He created a brief stir in 2013 when he suggested pregnancy from rape is “very low.” He has introduced various measures intended to limit, if not end, abortion.
Last year, he came under fire for a comment that seemed to minimize the gravity of Russian interference in the presidential election.
“The bottom line is if they succeeded, if Russia succeeded in giving the American people information that was accurate, then they merely did what the media should have done,” he said in an interview with MSNBC. He later said his comments had been misconstrued.
Franks is a member of the House Armed Services and Judiciary committees. He chairs a subcommittee on the Constitution and civil justice and is vice chair of a subcommittee on emerging threats.
According to his website, Franks chairs the Congressional Coalition on Adoption, the Congressional Foster Youth Caucus and the Congressional Caucus on Orphans and Vulnerable Children.
He is also a member of the House Freedom Caucus, a group that has frequently battled GOP leadership in an effort to engineer more conservative legislation, as well as the Republican Study Committee that helps develop policy.
With the future of both of Arizona's Senate seats thrown into question in recent months, Franks has been mentioned as a possible candidate or appointee.
For his part, Franks publicly said he had no plans to run for the seat being vacated by retiring Sen. Jeff Flake, but was vague about his interest in succeeding Sen. John McCain, who has brain cancer.
Franks considered running for the Senate in 2012.
Last week, Arizona's senior congressional Democrat, Rep. Raśl Grijalva was tied to a $48,000 settlement involving allegations of frequent drunkenness.
https://www.azcentral.com/story/news...ess/932052001/
