Rep. Trent Franks of Arizona who asked staffers if they would bear his child as a surrogate  says he will resign
Trent Franks
Rep. Trent Franks (R-Ariz .) on Dec. 7 said  he ’ll resign after  he  had a “discussion of surrogacy with two previous female subordinates.” (Bastien Inzaurralde Melissa Macaya/The Washington Post)
 Rep. Trent Franks (R-Ariz.)  on Dec. 7 said  he ’ll resign after  he  had a “discussion of surrogacy with two previous female subordinates.” (Bastien Inzaurralde Melissa Macaya/The Washington Post)
 Rep. Trent Franks  an Arizona Republican who is among the most conservative members of the House   said  he  would resign  his  seat after House officials learned that  he  had asked two female employees to bear  his  child as a surrogate.
 Franks’s  announcement came as the House Ethics Committee said it would create a special subcommittee to investigate  Franks  for conduct “that constitutes sexual harassment and/or retaliation for opposing sexual harassment.”
His resignation  which  Franks  said is effective Jan. 31  will end the ethics investigation.
 Franks  said in  his  statement that the investigation concerns  his  “discussion of surrogacy with two previous female subordinates  making each feel uncomfortable.”
While  Franks ’s statement left the circumstances of the “discussion” murky  three Republicans familiar with the allegations said that he had asked the staffers  who worked for him at the time but have since left his office  if they would serve as a surrogate mother for his child. A spokesman for  Franks  did not respond to a request for comment on that claim.
In his statement   Franks  said he never “physically intimidated  coerced  or had  or attempted to have  any sexual contact with any member of my congressional staff.”
“However  I do want to take full and personal responsibility for the ways I have broached a topic that  unbeknownst to me until very recently  made certain individuals uncomfortable ”  Franks  said  adding  “I deeply regret that my discussion of this option and process in the workplace caused distress.”
 Franks  explained in  his  statement that  he  and  his  wife have long struggled with infertility. After having twins with a surrogate  the couple sought additional children   he  said.
House Speaker Paul D. Ryan’s office said in a statement Thursday that Ryan (R-Wis.) had been briefed on “credible claims of misconduct” by  Franks  last week  after the House general counsel was contacted about the allegations and investigated them.
 Franks  did not deny the allegations when Ryan confronted him  according to the speaker’s statement. Ryan told  Franks  he should resign  and said he would refer the matter to the House Ethics Committee  his statement said.
The  Franks  revelations came on the same day that Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.) resigned his seat after multiple allegations of sexual misconduct and as the House Ethics Committee opened a separate probe into Rep. Blake Farenthold (R-Tex.).
 Franks  has served in the House since 2003 and is known as a fierce opponent of legal abortion  recently sponsoring a bill banning abortions after 20-week gestation that passed the House.  He  is also an outspoken critic of the Senate’s filibuster rule  blaming it for blocking conservative bills.
 Franks  is also a member of the House Freedom Caucus  a hard-right faction that has often clashed with Republican leaders.
 He  considered a run for Senate in 2012 but dropped out suddenly.  He  continued as chairman of a House Judiciary subcommittee and as a member of the House Armed Services Committee.
[TGT] on Dec. 7 said  [TGT] ’ll resign after  [TGT]  had a “discussion of surrogacy with two previous female subordinates.” (Bastien Inzaurralde Melissa Macaya/The Washington Post)
 Rep. Trent Franks (R-Ariz.)  on Dec. 7 said  [TGT] ’ll resign after  [TGT]  had a “discussion of surrogacy with two previous female subordinates.” (Bastien Inzaurralde Melissa Macaya/The Washington Post)
 [TGT]said  [TGT]  would resign  [TGT]  seat after House officials learned that  [TGT]  had asked two female employees to bear  [TGT]  child as a surrogate.
 Franks’s  announcement came as the House Ethics Committee said it would create a special subcommittee to investigate  Franks  for conduct “that constitutes sexual harassment and/or retaliation for opposing sexual harassment.”
His resignation  which  Franks  said is effective Jan. 31  will end the ethics investigation.
 Franks  said in  his  statement that the investigation concerns  his  “discussion of surrogacy with two previous female subordinates  making each feel uncomfortable.”
While  Franks ’s statement left the circumstances of the “discussion” murky  three Republicans familiar with the allegations said that he had asked the staffers  who worked for him at the time but have since left his office  if they would serve as a surrogate mother for his child. A spokesman for  Franks  did not respond to a request for comment on that claim.
In his statement   Franks  said he never “physically intimidated  coerced  or had  or attempted to have  any sexual contact with any member of my congressional staff.”
“However  I do want to take full and personal responsibility for the ways I have broached a topic that  unbeknownst to me until very recently  made certain individuals uncomfortable ”  Franks  said  adding  “I deeply regret that my discussion of this option and process in the workplace caused distress.”
 Franks  explained in  his  statement that  he  and  his  wife have long struggled with infertility. After having twins with a surrogate  the couple sought additional children   he  said.
House Speaker Paul D. Ryan’s office said in a statement Thursday that Ryan (R-Wis.) had been briefed on “credible claims of misconduct” by  Franks  last week  after the House general counsel was contacted about the allegations and investigated them.
 Franks  did not deny the allegations when Ryan confronted him  according to the speaker’s statement. Ryan told  Franks  he should resign  and said he would refer the matter to the House Ethics Committee  his statement said.
The  Franks  revelations came on the same day that Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.) resigned his seat after multiple allegations of sexual misconduct and as the House Ethics Committee opened a separate probe into Rep. Blake Farenthold (R-Tex.).
 Franks  has served in the House since 2003 and is known as a fierce opponent of legal abortion  recently sponsoring a bill banning abortions after 20-week gestation that passed the House.  He  is also an outspoken critic of the Senate’s filibuster rule  blaming it for blocking conservative bills.
 Franks  is also a member of the House Freedom Caucus  a hard-right faction that has often clashed with Republican leaders.
 He  considered a run for Senate in 2012 but dropped out suddenly.  He  continued as chairman of a House Judiciary subcommittee and as a member of the House Armed Services Committee.