Former President Bill Clinton sat down with PBS NewsHour managing editor and anchor Judy Woodruff on Thursday to talk about the Monica Lewinsky scandal.
Taking a softer tone, Clinton admitted the former intern “paid quite a price” for the affair.
Yet when talk turned to former Senator Al Franken (D-MN) and his resignation after a sexual harassment scandal of his own, Clinton seemed to call into question at least one of the accuser’s accounts.
“I assume you think that what happened with you was more serious than what happened with Senator — former Senator Al Franken,” Woodruff said.
“He was driven from office, from the U.S. Senate. So, norms have changed. Do you think that’s a good thing?” she then asked.
“Well, in general, I think it’s a good thing, yes,” Clinton remarked.
He then said this, seemingly defending the former senator:
I think that — I will be honest — the Franken case, for me, was a difficult case, a hard case. There may be things I don’t know. But I — maybe I’m just an old-fashioned person, but it seemed to me that there were 29 women on Saturday Night Live that put out a statement for him, and that the first and most fantastic story was called, I believe, into question.
Too late to wade into it now. I mean, I think it’s a grievous thing to take away from the people a decision they have made, especially when there is an election coming up again. But it’s done now.
And I think that all of us should just be focusing on how to do better and how to go forward.
Last year, Franken was accused of groping and forcibly kissing Leeann Tweeden, a Los Angeles radio news anchor, during a 2006 USO Tour. After Tweeden spoke out, seven other women came forward, prompting Franken’s resignation.
Watch above, via PBS.
[image via screengrab]
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