Democratic Senator Al Franken will leave the Congress on January 2, a spokesman for the senator said on Wednesday, with Minnesota Lieutenant Governor Tina Smith succeeding him a day later.
Franken announced his departure earlier this month after numerous women accused him of sexual misconduct while he still worked as a radio host. He denied the allegations, but nonetheless apologized, The Wall Street Journal reports.
His resignation followed calls from fellow party members to step down, signaling the party’s no-tolerance policy toward sexual misconduct.
Franken also faced a Senate Ethics Committee investigation into the sexual misconduct allegations, saying he could no longer be “an effective senator” while the probe was ongoing. However, at the time he did not set a specific date for his departure from the Senate, CNBC says.
Franken spoke on the Senate floor Wednesday about his plans after leaving Congress, which some Democrats believe was premature.
“When I leave the Senate in a few weeks, I’ll continue trying to be an educated citizen, and an advocate, and an activist. The Minnesotans deserve a senator who can focus with all her energy on addressing the challenges they face every day,” he said.
As a senator, he pushed for mental-health services in schools and addressed the “skills gap” to help people find employment.
Governor Mark Dayton chose Smith to replace Franken. She will be sworn into office on January 3, the same day as Senator-elect Doug Jones. According to Bloomberg, Smith will keep some of Franken’s top staff when she takes office and she also plans to run for the seat in the special election in November 2018.
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