Sen. Al Franken’s (D.-Minn.) resignation announcement on Thursday sparked a number of conservatives to complain that he had been “railroaded” and was the victim of a “lynch mob” while warning that this could open up the floodgates to other politicians being forced from office without having received due process.
Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich blasted Franken’s ouster on Laura Ingraham’s show on Thursday night.
“What you saw today was a lynch mob,” he said. “Let’s not have due process. Let’s not ask anybody any questions. Let’s not have any chance to have a hearing. Let’s just lynch him because when we are done, we will be so pure.”
Ingraham warned viewers about joining any “lynch mobs” on this issue.
“Because tomorrow, it could be coming for your husband, your brother, your son, and yes, even your president,” she said.
Earlier in the day, Gingrich pointed out that it was a small group calling for his resignation, not the voters.
Franken 1,053,205 Minnesotans picked him for senate in 2014
30 self appointed 'pure'senators want him out
What happened to popular vote— Newt Gingrich (@newtgingrich) December 7, 2017
Conservative radio host John Ziegler also defended Franken.
The saddest/truest part of Sen. Al Franken's speech was him realizing too late (just as I have said) that to treat accusers with respect & issue an apology, in today's messed up world, gets misconstrued as a confession of guilt. This was an innocent man railroaded by his decency.
— John Ziegler (@Zigmanfreud) December 7, 2017
Byron York, chief political correspondent for the conservative Washington Examiner compared Franken to former Oregon Senator Bob Packwood who was accused of sexual misconduct in the early 1990’s and resigned in 1995 before the Senate could take an expulsion vote.
But there's reason to be concerned about kangaroo court justice of the college campus coming to US Senate. In 90s, when Bob Packwood was accused of sexual misconduct, he got full due process; ethics committee worked for three years before he resigned ahead of expulsion. 2/3
— Byron York (@ByronYork) December 6, 2017
The media could help slow down this “lynch mob” mentality if they would vet the accusations before making them public, but that wouldn’t be as good for ratings as letting the accusations fly.
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