Second woman accuses Senator Al Franken of groping: CNN

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A second woman has accused Democratic Senator Al Franken of inappropriately touching her, this time in 2010 after he had been elected to public office, CNN reported on Monday.

Franken was first accused of sexual misconduct last week, when radio broadcaster and model Leann Tweeden said that, in 2006, he had forcibly kissed her and groped her while she was sleeping.

At that time, Franken was a professional comedian. He took up his Senate seat in 2009.

Lindsay Menz told CNN she met Franken at the Minnesota state fair in 2010. When her husband photographed her and the senator, he pulled her close and groped her buttocks, CNN reported.

According to CNN, she posted the photo on Facebook shortly after the incident and commented about the incident, "Al Franken TOTALLY molested me!" CNN said that Menz had approached the news organization after reports about Tweeden.

Reuters was not able to independently confirm Menz's story, and neither Menz nor Franken responded to multiple requests for comment.

"I take thousands of photos at the state fair surrounded by hundreds of people, and I certainly don't remember taking this picture," Franken said in a statement to CNN. "I feel badly that Ms. Menz came away from our interaction feeling disrespected."

The accusations are among the latest in a wave that have surfaced in recent weeks against a number of high-profile men.

U.S. President Donald Trump, who was himself accused of sexual misconduct during last year's presidential campaign, weighed in on Franken last week, saying: "To think that just last week he was lecturing anyone who would listen about sexual harassment and respect for women."

Franken said last week that he would submit to an ethics probe into his actions.

(Reporting by Makini Brice; Editing by Bill Rigby)