Roughly one year after allegations of improper conduct were made against former Sen. Al Franken, D-Minn., the former senator stepped back into the public arena this week with the release of a new healthcare-focused podcast.
Mr. Franken, 67, released the podcast on his Facebook page Nov. 26, stating the move was meant to allow him to continue to speak his mind on issues facing the U.S.
"I said I was giving up my seat but not my voice, and after the midterm elections I thought I'd start experimenting with ways to make my voice heard," Mr. Franken wrote.
The hourlong podcast features a conversation with Andy Slavitt, former CMS administrator and group executive vice president of Optum.
"Andy is one of the most passionate and insightful voices on healthcare today," Mr. Franken wrote, citing Mr. Slavitt's nonprofit health policy organization The United States of Care, which advocates for universal coverage in the U.S..
Mr. Franken resigned from his Senate position in December 2017 after several female Democratic senators called for his resignation amid allegations of inappropriate conduct. Earlier the same year, a radio host accused him of forcibly kissing her during a USO tour in the Middle East in 2006. Shortly after, several other women accused the former senator of groping them while posing for photographs.
To listen to the podcast, click here.