Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., took a shot Monday at his Senate Democratic colleagues for their treatment of outgoing Sen. Al Franken, D-Minn., over their calls for him to resign in the wake of allegations of sexual misconduct, arguing that Franken should not resign and should let the Senate Ethics Committee investigation conclude.
"I definitely think he should not resign," Manchin told CNN's "New Day" on Monday, saying that it was "most definitely" premature for Senate Democrats to call for his removal from office after eight women accused him of improper sexual conduct.
Manchin, who is one of the Democratic Party's most centrist members, said that while women should be protected and able to make their case known, Franken and others accused should be afforded due process and able to clear their name if they are innocent.
"I think Al Franken should go through the process of what he's asked for — due process," he told host Alisyn Camerota. "I believe that we should have a process to where women can come out and be protected when they have been violated and they should be able to state that and be protected in doing it, and I believe a person that's been accused ought to have a process that we can investigate thoroughly, and whatever the findings are be prosecuted or be removed or found innocent of those charges."
Franken announced on Dec. 7 that he would resign his seat in the Senate, but did not give a date, after more than 30 members called for him to step down in the face of the allegations. Manchin said Democrats were wrong in not giving their colleague a chance to undergo an ethics investigation.
"My own fellow Democrats wouldn't even give him that courtesy," Manchin said of the ethics inquiry. "[It's] just unbelievable to me how you can destroy a human being's life and his family and everything that they stand for without giving him a chance. ... Everybody's caught up [with] who's going to outdo the other, and it's just ridiculous."
While Franken has not set a date to exit the Senate he is expected to resign in January. He will be replaced by Minnesota Lt. Gov. Tina Brown.
