DES MOINES — Republican U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley said voters deserve clear answers about accusations that his Democratic opponent grabbed and kissed a former campaign staffer without her consent, but he said he doesn’t plan to make a campaign issue out of it.
Mike Franken, a retired Navy admiral and the Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate in Iowa, has denied the incident happened, and his campaign has noted an April police report detailing the incident was closed as unfounded.
“Anyone who wants to run for the Senate who’s been accused of something like this owes Iowans a clear and honest explanation,” he told Jeff Stein on News/Talk 1540 KXEL radio on Tuesday.
Kimberly Strope-Boggus, a former member of Franken's campaign staff, made the allegations to Des Moines police in April.
Strope-Boggus, who was fired from the campaign in February, told police that after meeting for drinks at a Des Moines bar in March, a person — who is not named but presumed to be Franken based on the context — grabbed the collar of her vest and kissed her on the mouth. When she pulled away, he stopped the contact and walked away without saying anything, the report says.
In the report, Strope-Boggus told police she did not think the kiss was done in an aggressive or sexual manner or with intent to harm.
Franken has denied the report, telling The Gazette on Monday, “It never happened.”
Franken acknowledged he met Strope-Boggus that night, at her request, and “had a glass of beer.”
The case was closed...
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