Former Minnesota Gov. Arne Carlson wrote Sunday that he is "deeply troubled" that Democratic Sen. Al Franken resigned in the wake of several sexual misconduct accusations.
"I am deeply troubled by the resignation of Al Franken and the complete absence of anything resembling due process," Carlson wrote in a blog post Sunday.
He goes on to question the motivations of one of Franken's accusers, Leeann Tweeden, saying she "may have been coached by Roger Stone, a major Trump operator," and questioning why she appeared with Franken at events after the alleged incident.
"This is all very troubling. A rush to judgment is, unfortunately, all too human. But a rush to punishment is totally unacceptable.
"Perhaps this is a time for reconsideration," Carlson continues, noting that The Washington Post recently exposed an attempt to plant a false story of sexual misconduct about Alabama Senate candidate Roy Moore.
"Further, we know that Senate Democrats who asked for Franken's resignation may have been motivated more by the politics of the Alabama Senate race than the seriousness of the allegations.
"And now we have the supreme insult of New York Senator Schumer 'advising' Governor Dayton on how to pick a successor. That is a certainty for GOP advertising in 2018."
"I firmly believe in due process which is a cornerstone of our democratic way of living. Whenever in history we abandoned it, we severely damaged ourselves," he continued.
"The simple fact is that Al Franken has been the Senate's most effective challenge to Trump and his subordinates. The possibility of any rigging . . . should cause all of us to call for a rescinding of the Franken resignation and a prompt and thorough review of all allegations by the Senate Ethics Committee.
Carlson concludes: "He was elected by we, the people, and he should continue to serve until a legal determination has been made."
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