Al Franken Says Regaining Public's Trust Starts With 'Going Back To Work Today'

Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.) said Monday that its going to take a long time to regain peoples trust amid a series of sexual harassment allegations against him.

Ive let a lot of people down, Franken said during a press conference Monday. To all of you, I just want to again say I am sorry.

I know there are no magic words that I can say to regain your trust and I know thats going to take time, he continued. Im ready to start that process and it starts with going back to work today.

Sen. Franken: \"This has been a shock and it's been extremely humbling . I am embarrassed. I feel ashamed. What I'm going to do is I'm going to start my job and I'm going to go back to work.\" https://t.co/jr4e9Q6osm pic.twitter.com/CRQKL91Brx

CBS News (@CBSNews) November 27, 2017","type":"rich","meta":{"author":"CBS News","author_url":"https://twitter.com/CBSNews","cache_age":86400,"description":"Sen. Franken: \"This has been a shock and it's been extremely humbling . I am embarrassed. I feel ashamed. What I'm going to do is I'm going to start my job and I'm going to go back to work.\" https://t.co/jr4e9Q6osm pic.twitter.com/CRQKL91Brx CBS News (@CBSNews) November 27, 2017\n\n","provider_name":"Twitter","thumbnail_height":360,"thumbnail_url":"https://pbs.twimg.com/ext_tw_video_thumb/935214065567154177/pu/img/c1voZBbWbPaXAWuU.jpg","thumbnail_width":640,"title":"CBS News on Twitter","type":"rich","url":"https://twitter.com/CBSNews/status/935214102313684994","version":"1.0"},"flags":[],"fullBleed":false,"options":{"theme":"news","device":"mobile","editionInfo":{"id":"us","name":"U.S.","link":"https://action.news","locale":"en_US"},"originalEdition":"us","isMapi":false,"isAmp":false,"isVideoEntry":false,"isEntry":true,"isMt":false,"entryId":"5a1c4f39e4b0e771d6b7e602","entryPermalink":"https://action.news/entry/al-franken-going-back-to-work_n_5a1c4f39e4b0e771d6b7e602","entryTagsList":"us-news,politics,sex-crimes,economics,business-management,al-franken,@ads_sexy,@health_erectile,@health_ibs,@health_models","sectionSlug":"politics","deptSlug":"politics-news","sectionRedirectUrl":null,"subcategories":"","isWide":false,"headerOverride":null,"noVideoAds":false,"disableFloat":false,"isNative":false,"commercialVideo":{"provider":"custom","site_and_category":"us.politics","package":null},"isHighline":false,"vidibleConfigValues":{"cid":"60afc111dcf87c2cd2f5d8bf","overrides":{"front_page_top_videos":{"desktop":"60b64354b171b7444beaff4d","mobileweb":"60b64354b171b7444beaff4d"},"top_media":{"desktop":"60b8e6bdc5449357a7ada147","mobile":"60b8e701c5449357a7ada2ee","iphone":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","ipad":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","androidphone":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c","androidtablet":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c"},"anthology":{"desktop":"60b8e616cdd90620331bb0ba","mobile":"60b8e671c5449357a7ad9f66","iphone":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","ipad":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","androidphone":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c","androidtablet":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c"},"content":{"desktop":"60b8e616cdd90620331bb0ba","mobile":"60b8e671c5449357a7ad9f66","iphone":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","ipad":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","androidphone":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c","androidtablet":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c"}},"playerUpdates":{"5668ae6ee4b0b5e26955d6a6":"60d2472d9340d7032ad7e443","56aa41bae4b091744c0440d8":"60e869dc7c5f3b17b6741b81","5841b2b5cc52c716ec6e5a7f":"60b8e355cdd90620331ba185","58b5e2b8d85a10302feee895":"60b64316b171b7444beafdb2","58b74698f78ced31417819ae":"60b8e5bec5449357a7ad9b52","58b74ccecebcea57e2c3a3d1":"60b8e5eac5449357a7ad9ca5","58cff690d85a100b9992bc39":"60b8e616cdd90620331bb0ba","58cffb3fb6d9b972a49a3c9d":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","58cffdd74d96935d7d6ec180":"60b8e671c5449357a7ad9f66","58d03a84f78ced6518eb2fa7":"60b643c82e76be41f112735c","592edf20e0fa177b0c26f7fd":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c","5b35266b158f855373e28256":"60b64354b171b7444beaff4d","5c116f29f79c4171d82b7c2a":"60b64440b171b7444beb040b","5c1170fc600c9a697bf0c6b9":"60b646102e76be41f1127ffc","5c47791afa1b317df8ae0c4f":"60b8e6bdc5449357a7ada147","5c477987a6b48b35f164773d":"60b8e701c5449357a7ada2ee","5c4779ee943c3c2a64f28371":"60b8e747cdd90620331bb861","5c477a26fcd67b26879bc7c2":"60b8e788c5449357a7ada67b","5d8921a78c3ae845f366c9b6":"60ae7be5f3a7c13a30417ff9","58b98b00ba82aa39a6534321":"60d0de7c9340d7032ad1146c","58b9d14cb6d9b96c9ec32af3":"60d0dec19340d7032ad115a0","58cff8eccebcea42931e0436":"60d0e005b627221e9d819d44","592edf5de0fa177b0c26f95b":"60d0e38fb627221e9d81adcf","58cff72fd85a100b9992c112":"60d0e447b627221e9d81b0da","56b4d34fe4b022697697c400":"60d2472d9340d7032ad7e443","60b8e4c0c5449357a7ad957d":"60e869dc7c5f3b17b6741b81"}},"connatixConfigValues":{"defaultPlayer":"ff7fdddc-5441-4253-abc4-f12a33fad58b","clickToPlayPlayer":"d014396e-b366-4c17-aeac-3ce906fa3fd0","videoPagePlayer":"f010447b-d244-4111-a314-7b4542ae4145","verticalPlayer":"e58cb05a-0bc8-4210-9108-fea82726c065","stickyPlayerControl":"52ea1755-d601-4ad1-bccc-d8cce3f0e5da","stickyPlayerON":"8055e9e5-3bda-4933-8d45-9ad814fb6e22"},"topConnatixThumnbailSrc":"data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAEAAAABCAQAAAC1HAwCAAAAC0lEQVR42mNkYAAAAAYAAjCB0C8AAAAASUVORK5CYII=","customAmpComponents":[],"ampAssetsUrl":"https://amp.assets.huffpost.com","videoTraits":null,"positionInUnitCounts":{"buzz_head":{"count":0},"buzz_body":{"count":0},"buzz_bottom":{"count":0}},"positionInSubUnitCounts":{"article_body":{"count":2},"blog_summary":{"count":0},"before_you_go_content":{"count":0}},"connatixCountsHelper":{"count":1},"buzzfeedTracking":{"context_page_id":"5a1c4f39e4b0e771d6b7e602","context_page_type":"buzz","destination":"huffpost","mode":"mobile","page_edition":"en-us"},"tags":[{"name":"U.S. News","slug":"us-news","links":{"relativeLink":"topic/us-news","permalink":"https://action.news/topic/us-news","mobileWebLink":"https://action.news/topic/us-news"},"relegenceSubjectId":981465,"department":{"name":"Latest News","slug":"politics-news"},"section":{"title":"World News","slug":"world-news"},"topic":{"title":"United States","slug":"united-states","overridesSectionLabel":false},"url":"https://action.news/news/topic/united-states"},{"name":"Politics","slug":"politics","links":{"relativeLink":"topic/politics","permalink":"https://action.news/topic/politics","mobileWebLink":"https://action.news/topic/politics"},"relegenceSubjectId":982065,"department":{"name":"Latest News","slug":"politics-news"},"section":{"title":"Politics","slug":"politics"},"topic":{"title":"Politics News","slug":"politics-news","overridesSectionLabel":false},"url":"https://action.news/news/topic/politics-news"},{"name":"Sex Crimes","slug":"sex-crimes","links":{"relativeLink":"topic/sex-crimes","permalink":"https://action.news/topic/sex-crimes","mobileWebLink":"https://action.news/topic/sex-crimes"},"relegenceSubjectId":982776,"section":{"title":"Women","slug":"women"},"topic":{"title":"Sexual Assault","slug":"sexual-assault","overridesSectionLabel":false},"url":"https://action.news/topic/sexual-assault"},{"name":"economics","slug":"economics","links":{"relativeLink":"topic/economics","permalink":"https://action.news/topic/economics","mobileWebLink":"https://action.news/topic/economics"},"relegenceSubjectId":979328,"url":"https://action.news/topic/economics"},{"name":"Business Management","slug":"business-management","links":{"relativeLink":"topic/business-management","permalink":"https://action.news/topic/business-management","mobileWebLink":"https://action.news/topic/business-management"},"relegenceSubjectId":981013,"department":{"name":"Impact","slug":"impact"},"section":{"title":"Business","slug":"business"},"topic":{"title":"Business","slug":"business","overridesSectionLabel":false},"url":"https://action.news/impact/topic/business"},{"name":"Al Franken ","slug":"al-franken","links":{"relativeLink":"topic/al-franken","permalink":"https://action.news/topic/al-franken","mobileWebLink":"https://action.news/topic/al-franken"},"relegenceId":986582,"department":{"name":"Latest News","slug":"politics-news"},"section":{"title":"Politics","slug":"politics"},"topic":{"title":"Al Franken ","slug":"al-franken","overridesSectionLabel":false},"url":"https://action.news/news/topic/al-franken"}],"isLiveblogLive":null,"isLiveblog":false,"cetUnit":"buzz_body","bodyAds":["

\r\n\r\n","

\r\n\r\n"],"adCount":0},"isCollectionEmbed":false,"enhancements":{}}">

Sen. Franken: "This has been a shock and it's been extremely humbling . I am embarrassed. I feel ashamed. What I'm going to do is I'm going to start my job and I'm going to go back to work." https://t.co/jr4e9Q6osm pic.twitter.com/CRQKL91Brx
CBS News (@CBSNews) November 27, 2017

Frankens statement comes amid a series of groping allegations against him . Earlier this month, Leeann Tweeden, a radio host, accused him of kissing her and grabbing her breasts without her consent during a 2006 USO tour. Three other women came forward last week to accuse Franken of touching their buttocks.

Franken said in an interview with local CBS affiliate WCCO on Sunday that he couldnt remember if he had grabbed womens buttocks during photo ops at the Minnesota State Fair, as Lindsay Menz said he did in 2010, and that he wasnt sure whether there would be more groping allegations against him.

I cant say that it hasnt happened, Franken said about the groping allegations, adding that he has taken thousands of photos with people throughout his career.

I understand I am going to have to do everything I can going forward to be enormously sensitive, he said during the interview. I apologize to these women.

When asked by a reporter Monday what the bar should be for resignation from the Senate, Franken said he did not want to speculate.

Ive been trying to take responsibility by apologizing, Franken said. Im going to try to learn from my mistakes.

Your Support Has Never Been More Critical

Other news outlets have retreated behind paywalls. At HuffPost, we believe journalism should be free for everyone.

Would you help us provide essential information to our readers during this critical time? We can't do it without you.

Can't afford to contribute? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.

You've supported HuffPost before, and we'll be honest we could use your help again . We view our mission to provide free, fair news as critically important in this crucial moment, and we can't do it without you.

Whether you give once or many more times, we appreciate your contribution to keeping our journalism free for all.

Whether you give just one more time or sign up again to contribute regularly, we appreciate you playing a part in keeping our journalism free for all.

Support HuffPost

He continued: This has been a shock and it has been extremely humbling. I am embarrassed. I feel ashamed.

This story has been updated with additional comment from Franken.