Tipsheet

BREAKING: MPR Reporting Al Franken to Resign on Thursday UPDATE: Franken Denies

UPDATE: Sen. Franken's official Twitter account replied to the tweet, saying that the Senator had not yet made a decision.

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Sen. Al Franken (D-MN) will resign on Thursday, Minnesota Public Radio is reporting. 

MPR says they spoke to a Democratic official who said that Franken will step down during his "announcement" on Thursday. MPR did not release the official's name. 

A Democratic official who has spoken to Al Franken and key aides says Franken will resign his Minnesota Senate seat on Thursday, the official tells MPR News.

The official spoke to Franken and separately to Franken's staff. A staff member told the official that Franken had gone to his Washington home to discuss his plans with family.

MPR News agreed to withhold the official's name because the official wanted to give Franken the chance to talk about his decision in his own words.

Franken has been accused of sexual misconduct by eight women over a period ranging over a decade. The seventh and eighth accusers shared their stories on Wednesday and were quite similar to the six that had previously come forward. 

On Wednesday, dozens of Senate Democrats, as well as left-leaning independent Sens. Angus King (I-ME) and Bernie Sanders (I-VT) said that they believe Franken should step down due to his "pattern of misconduct." 

If Franken were to resign, Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton (DFL) will appoint a successor, who will serve until 2018. Franken was elected to the Senate in 2008 and was up for reelection in 2020. 

This is a developing story and will likely be updated.