Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand said Al Franken and Mark Halperin, who both faced accusations of misconduct during the #MeToo movement, are entitled to a "path to redemption." | Alex Wong/Getty Images 2020 Elections Gillibrand says she's not opposed to 'second chances' for Halperin and Franken

Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand on Monday weighed in on the apparent comeback attempts of Mark Halperin and Al Franken, arguing that America is a country of second chances.

Halperin and Franken saw their careers derailed during the #MeToo movement, with Gillibrand playing a central role in precipitating Franken’s resignation from the Senate.


The New York Democrat and presidential hopeful said during a Washington Post event on Monday that when it came to Franken, who resigned after multiple allegations of inappropriate behavior, and pundit Mark Halperin, who faced numerous accusations of sexual misconduct and harassment, both men are entitled to a “path to redemption.”

“It’s not for me to judge,” Gillibrand said of Halperin’s return to the public eye, echoing language she used with regard to Franken. “It’s a choice that any individual can make and they just make it. It starts with humility and a recognition that you acknowledge that you’ve done something wrong.”

POLITICO reported Sunday that Halperin had inked a book deal, his first since allegations of assault from at least a dozen women rocked his career. During his time at ABC News, which Halperin left more than a decade ago, Halperin’s accusers say he sexually harassed them, groped them, pressed his genitals against their bodies and made inappropriate advances.

While Halperin has apologized for some of his behavior, he’s denied many of the accusations.

For the book, which is set to be released in November, Halperin interviewed more than 75 top Democratic operatives on how to beat President Donald Trump in 2020. Backlash against the book and the operatives who participated in it was swift, with his accusers expressing outrage and some noting that he has yet to apologize to them.

Asked whether she disapproved of the operatives who chose to participate in the book, Gillibrand demurred, saying she was unfamiliar with the particulars of the allegations against Halperin.

In any case, she said, “it’s not my job” to be the purveyor of disapproval.

Gillibrand’s struggling campaign has reportedly been dogged by her aggressiveness toward her former colleague and friend — she was the first senator to call for Franken’s resignation, though nearly three dozen others soon followed her — as Democratic donors threatened a backlash over the move. The senator has staked out issues like reproductive rights and sexual harassment as the core of her campaign, though her own office has not been immune to #MeToo issues.

Though she’s said repeatedly that she does not regret her decision and has rooted her presidential campaign in the bravery she says she showed in taking on Franken, Gillibrand shrugged off any responsibility to monitor the two men, despite being an outspoken voice on the issue.

When it came to Franken, Gillibrand expressed confusion on Monday about “why this conversation is so difficult. Anyone who wants a second chance, it’s always there for everyone. We’re a country that believes in second chances.”

