Moore hits McConnell over handling of Franken groping allegation

Alabama Senate candidate Roy Moore on Thursday said Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell's call to probe Sen. Al Franken's alleged sexual misconduct showed an unfair double standard compared with the Republican leader's handling of the allegations against Moore. A California broadcaster, Leeann Tweeden, said Thursday that the Minnesota Democrat kissed her without her consent and was photographed appearing to grope her during an overseas trip in 2006. McConnell quickly called for a Senate ethics probe of the matter. Moore, who has been accused of inappropriately pursuing women when they were in their teens and he was in his 30s, criticized McConnell for calling on him to drop out of the race, saying the responses were not proportionate. "Al Franken admits guilt after photographic evidence of his abuse surfaces. Mitch: 'Let's investigate,'" Moore tweeted, mimicking McConnell's response. "In Alabama, ZERO evidence, allegations 100% rejected. Mitch: 'Moore must quit immediately or be expelled.'" After four women last week said in a Washington Post report that Moore had pursued them as teenagers, including one who said Moore had a sexual encounter with her when she was 14 and he was 32, McConnell said that "if these allegations are true, he must step aside." Since then, several other women have come forward with allegations of sexual misconduct by Moore, prompting the Senate majority leader to call for Moore to quit the race. McConnell has also predicted that Moore would be expelled from the Senate if he were to be elected in spite of the claims. Moore has fiercely denied the allegations levied against him, denouncing the initial Post report as "fake news" and disputing the accounts of accusers. Franken issued an apology Thursday in response to Tweeden's statement, saying he backed a congressional ethics probe into the matter and would "gladly cooperate." clima@politico.com (Cristiano Lima) #politics #TheNewz #DDNews

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