AZ Representative, Trent Franks, announces resignation for potential misconduct

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BetteDavisEyes

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Arizona Rep. Trent Franks quits after asking female staffers about surrogacy
by Leigh Ann Caldwell and Alex Moe

WASHINGTON — Rep. Trent Franks, R-Ariz., announced his resignation Thursday evening as the House Ethics Committee announced it was opening an investigation into potential sexual misconduct.

Franks said in a statement that he had discussed his interest in finding a surrogate mother with two women in his office, making them uncomfortable. His wife has struggled with infertility, he said.

The Ethics Committee said that it was convening a subcommittee to determine if Franks "engaged in conduct that constitutes sexual harassment and/or retaliation for opposing sexual harassment." ...

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/co...-franks-expected-announce-resignation-n827531
 
Somehow I don't think it was just his discussing the issue of surrogacy that makes him feel forced to resign. I don't think the Ethics Committee would open an investigation based upon talking about surrogacy either.
 
I agree, HoneyWest. More to this story. Stay tuned...
 
Gee, I wonder what he was "hinting" at with the surrogacy talk.
 
Rep. Trent Franks, facing ethics investigation, says he will resign immediately

https://www.washingtonpost.com/powerpost/rep-trent-franks-facing-ethics-investigation-says-he-will-resign-immediately/2017/12/08/bec2f630-dc55-11e7-b859-fb0995360725_story.html?hpid=hp_rhp-top-table-main_franks-345pm%3Ahomepage%2Fstory&utm_term=.4213a4803a17


Rep. Trent Franks (R-Ariz.), facing an ethics investigation over alleged sexual harassment, announced Friday that he will resign immediately following his wife’s admission to the hospital.

Franks had said Thursday that he would resign at the end of January but said Friday that his wife’s ailment had prompted him to change his plans and immediately step down.

“Last night, my wife was admitted to the hospital in Washington, D.C. due to an ongoing ailment,” he said in a statement. “After discussing options with my family, we came to the conclusion that the best thing for our family now would be for me to tender my previous resignation effective today,
December 8, 2017."
Click to expand...

I wonder what put his wife in the hospital last night?
 
(WASHINGTON) — A former aide to Republican Rep. Trent Franks has told The Associated Press the congressman repeatedly pressed her to carry his child, at one point offering her $5 million to act as a surrogate mother.

The eight-term lawmaker abruptly resigned Friday, bowing to an ultimatum from House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis. Ryan told Franks that he would refer the allegations to the Ethics Committee and urged him to step aside.

The former staffer said the congressman at least four times asked if she’d be willing to act as a surrogate in exchange for money. Franks, in his statement announcing his resignation, said he and his wife, who have struggled with infertility, have twins who were carried through surrogacy.

http://time.com/5056929/trent-franks-aide-surrogate-5-million/

This seems a bit far afield from sexual assault. Pressuring someone to accept 5 million to become a surrogate? That is now sexual abuse?
 
His resignation indicates he was likely doing more than just innocently asking them to carry his seed. He was likely pressuring them to have sex with him. JMO, we'll see as details emerge.
 
katydid23 said:
(WASHINGTON) — A former aide to Republican Rep. Trent Franks has told The Associated Press the congressman repeatedly pressed her to carry his child, at one point offering her $5 million to act as a surrogate mother.

The eight-term lawmaker abruptly resigned Friday, bowing to an ultimatum from House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis. Ryan told Franks that he would refer the allegations to the Ethics Committee and urged him to step aside.

The former staffer said the congressman at least four times asked if she’d be willing to act as a surrogate in exchange for money. Franks, in his statement announcing his resignation, said he and his wife, who have struggled with infertility, have twins who were carried through surrogacy.

http://time.com/5056929/trent-franks-aide-surrogate-5-million/

This seems a bit far afield from sexual assault. Pressuring someone to accept 5 million to become a surrogate? That is now sexual abuse?
Click to expand...


It may depend on what plans he had to achieve the pregnancy.

ETA. I don't think that anyone is claiming sexual abuse, more inappropriate conduct.
 
I know so many women who have 'pressured' men to help them have a child. Not because they wanted to be with the man, just wanting to have a child. Even if the man wanted to donate the sperm, that is all they wanted.

I don't think Trent was asking for sex. He wanted to have a child with his wife. If he had a 5 million dollar contract written up, it wasn't going to include actual sex. It was going to be by the book.
 
If he wanted so badly to have a child, he has the means and money to do it through normal, regular, not-abusive channels, no? So why pressure women he works with by offering money when he could go through an agency to do it?
 
katydid23 said:
I know so many women who have 'pressured' men to help them have a child. Not because they wanted to be with the man, just wanting to have a child. Even if the man wanted to donate the sperm, that is all they wanted.

I don't think Trent was asking for sex. He wanted to have a child with his wife. If he had a 5 million dollar contract written up, it wasn't going to include actual sex. It was going to be by the book.
Click to expand...

Did those women pressure their employees for sperm? If they did, then they too could have been accused of harassment.
 
katydid23 said:
I know so many women who have 'pressured' men to help them have a child. Not because they wanted to be with the man, just wanting to have a child. Even if the man wanted to donate the sperm, that is all they wanted.

I don't think Trent was asking for sex. He wanted to have a child with his wife. If he had a 5 million dollar contract written up, it wasn't going to include actual sex. It was going to be by the book.
Click to expand...

That's called harassment.
 
Tawny said:
His resignation indicates he was likely doing more than just innocently asking them to carry his seed. He was likely pressuring them to have sex with him. JMO, we'll see as details emerge.
Click to expand...

I think the resignation happened because of the times we are in. It would be impossible to fight right now. So he caved in.

But I don't think it is that horrible of a thing. He offered her 5 million and a legal contract. She felt uncomfortable and that is unfortunate.

But does everyone who ever makes someone feel uncomfortable have to resign in shame because of that? He wanted to have a family with his wife and so she did what he thought might help make it happen. Bad choice on his part and I am sure he wishes he didn't ever make the offer.

But it does not seem cruel or evil or horrid, in my opinion/ Years and years of civil service and it ends in shame because his staffer was 'uncomfortable' with his offers. That makes me sad.
 
Tawny said:
That's called harassment.
Click to expand...

She said it happened 3 times, that he discussed it. Is that harassment? Asking for a huge favor that comes with a 5 million dollar compensation is harassment?

It wasn't a good choice on his part to keep asking. But was it evil and malicious?
 
katydid23 said:
She said it happened 3 times, that he discussed it. Is that harassment? Asking for a huge favor that comes with a 5 million dollar compensation is harassment?

It wasn't a good choice on his part to keep asking. But was it evil and malicious?
Click to expand...

Asking repeatedly when someone turns you down is harassment, yes.
 
Tawny said:
It wasn't just one woman.
Click to expand...

Of course not. He was looking for a surrogate, legally, to be generously compensated. He would obviously need to ask more than one.
 
If he had asked them once, it may have been bad judgement, but to keep asking when they had declined his request, is harassment.
 
katydid23 said:
Of course not. He was looking for a surrogate, legally, to be generously compensated. He would obviously need to ask more than one.
Click to expand...

And he knew no women outside of his workplace?
 
Female aides fretted Franks wanted to have sex to impregnate them

https://www.politico.com/story/2017/12/08/trent-franks-sex-surrogacy-impregnate-287808

The sources said Franks approached two female staffers about acting as a potential surrogate for him and his wife, who has struggled with fertility issues for years. But the aides were concerned that Franks was asking to have sexual relations with them. It was not clear to the women whether he was asking about impregnating the women through sexual intercourse or in vitro fertilization. Franks opposes abortion rights as well as procedures that discard embryos.

A former staffer also alleged that Franks tried to persuade a female aide that they were in love by having her read an article that described how a person knows they’re in love with someone, the sources said. One woman believed she was the subject of retribution after rebuffing Franks. While she enjoyed access to the congressman before the incident, that access was revoked afterward, she told Republican leaders.
Click to expand...
 
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