Rep. Franks resigns immediately as details of sexual allegations emerge

US Representative Trent Franks (R-Arizona) announced Friday that he will step down from his congressional seat immediately, instead of on January 31 as stated Thursday. In a statement, Franks citing his wife's admittance to a Washington, DC hospital, said: “We came to the conclusion that the best thing for our family now would be for me to tender my resignation effective today,”USA Today reported. Franks had allegedly approached two female staffers about being a potential surrogate for him and his wife, who had fertility problems. The staffers, however, say Franks was asking to engage in sexual relations with them, and it was not clear whether the lawmaker was inquiring about impregnating the women through sexual intercourse, or fertilization by way of in vitro, unnamed House GOP sources told Politico. The allegations led to a House Ethics Committee investigation into sexual harassment Thursday.