Rep. Trent Franks says he will resign immediately, citing wife's illness
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Arizona Republican Rep. Trent Franks announced Thursday night he will resign from Congress at the end of January after the House Ethics Committee said it would open an investigation into allegations of sexual harassment.
Time
A day after announcing he would step down at the end of January because of sexual harassment allegations, Rep. Trent Franks said Friday that he will resign immediately.
“Last night, my wife was admitted to the hospital in Washington, D.C., due to an ongoing ailment. After discussing options with my wife, we came to the conclusion that the best thing for our family now would be for me to tender my resignation effective today, December 8th, 2017,” Franks, R-Ariz., said in a statement.
In giving his version of the events that led to his resignation, Franks said Thursday that he and his wife had struggled with infertility, and that a “discussion of surrogacy” with two women who worked for him had “caused distress.”
One aide 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.
Read more: 5 takeaways from Rep. Trent Franks’ surprise resignation
Read more: Facing sexual harassment investigation, Arizona Rep. Trent Franks resigns
House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., said he had found the women’s claims credible and that Franks had not denied them. Ryan did not detail those allegations.
“The speaker told Rep. Franks that he intended to refer the allegations directly to the House Ethics Committee and told him that he should resign from Congress,” Ryan’s office said in a statement Thursday. “The allegations were filed with the Ethics Committee last Friday. And today, the speaker accepted a letter of resignation. The speaker takes seriously his obligation to ensure a safe workplace in the House.”
Franks had said Thursday he would serve until Jan. 31.
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