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11/17/2017 08:00 AM EDT


By Heather Caygle (hcaygle@politico.com or @heatherscope)

SEXUAL ASSAULT GRIPS CAPITOL HILL - The Senate Ethics Committee is expected to launch an investigation into Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.) after a female broadcaster said he groped and kissed her during a 2006 USO tour overseas. "You forcibly kissed me without my consent, grabbed my breasts while I was sleeping and had someone take a photo of you doing it, knowing I would see it later, and be ashamed," broadcaster Leeann Tweeden wrote Thursday, recounting the actions (including a picture) by Franken, who wasn't yet a senator. Franken issued a lengthy apology for the incident, promising to cooperate with the ethics probe. Elana and Seung Min with more:
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=04877da16abfe1627cf04dcdd1607ff82597873505a3bffa0c4fafb0e8d0b491744452772b4b0b0b05c45e8d4904745c

The accusations against Franken follows days of news coverage about other sexual assault issues gripping Capitol Hill, including misconduct allegations piling up against Alabama Senate candidate Roy Moore and testimony from female lawmakers about current members of Congress they say have sexually assaulted staffers. Rep. Brenda Lawrence's chief of staff also resigned Thursday after POLITICO reported more than a week ago on misconduct allegations from former aides. "On a day when the House passed the most far-reaching tax bill in decades, and when jurors in New Jersey deadlocked in a corruption trial involving a sitting senator, Robert Menendez, Capitol Hill was consumed instead by the issue
of sexual harassment." Elana, SMK and Kevin Robillard: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=04877da16abfe16285a56cb11e449fd21be44edace571a4b0b81d31e4e15c0483547a3dc3ce428fd3431edeab3711a1b

GOP SCORES BIG WINS ON TAX REFORM - The House easily passed its tax cuts bill Thursday after a little pep talk from President Donald Trump. Of the 13 Republicans who voted against the bill, most were opposed to the changes to the state and local tax deduction. The bill's passage is a major - and much-needed - victory for Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.). "Ryan has been under tremendous pressure from Trump and party donors to pass a tax cut, a feeling made only more urgent by the summer's Obamacare debacle," Bres reports. "If House Republicans can't pass a tax cut, many GOP lawmakers admitted in private, there really isn't any reason for them to be in the majority anymore."

The Senate Finance Committee voted 14-12, along party lines, to approve its tax code rewrite late Thursday. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) plans to bring the bill to the Senate floor the week after Thanksgiving. Brian Faler reports: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=04877da16abfe162b2c9676b2ce90011d917b6b45eadb8ccc650dc5e0faa93acb54842f3f2263eb1ccf20e70deb7089b

MISTRIAL DECLARED IN MENENDEZ CASE - Sen. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) came out swinging Thursday after the judge declared a mistrial in his federal bribery case, saying he won't forget those who didn't support him along the way. "To those who were digging my political grave so they could jump into my seat, I know who you are and I won't forget you," Menendez said. The mistrial came after jurors remained deadlocked following four days of deliberations, Matt Friedman reports from Newark. One juror told reporters that there was "no smoking gun," saying there was a 10-2 split on the jury in favor of acquittal. The Justice Department now has to decide whether it will retry Menendez and his
co-defendant, eye doctor Salomon Melgen. More: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=04877da16abfe1623380aab3e725894c131c7340bafc65b82f2f6cbe32eed100f3d904212fe24a6987e64243eaac943d

What's next: The Senate Ethics Committee will resume its investigation into Menendez, something McConnell ordered just hours after the mistrial was declared. "His trial shed light on serious accusations of violating the public's trust as an elected official, as well as potential violations of the Senate's Code of Conduct," McConnell said in a statement. Menendez has yet to announce whether he'll run for reelection next year although top Democrats in New Jersey and on the Hill rallied around him after the jury's stalemate was announced. Bres with more: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=04877da16abfe1621db7a02d1037d88017408fb4f62889c4c22843035a6caf735b62d592a1a5dc5b8662b3a1007910d2

IS IT THANKSGIVING YET? Welcome to Nov. 17, and thanks for reading Huddle, the play-by-play guide to all things Capitol Hill.

THURSDAY'S MOST CLICKED: The HuffPost story about the GOP tax vote - with an unofficial whip count - was the winner.

THERE GOES THAT IDEA - Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey dismissed the idea of having Sen. Luther Strange resign in order to trigger a new special election on Thursday. "The election date is set for Dec. 12. Were he to resign I would simply appoint somebody to fill the remaining time until we have the election on Dec. 12," Ivey told AL.com. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and his allies had discussed the legal feasibility of such a plan in recent days.

Meanwhile, despite requests from GOP leaders to weigh in, Trump has steered conspicuously clear of the Moore firestorm. The president has yet to publicly weigh in on whether Moore should step aside, while not hesitating to blast Sen. Al Franken for the sexual assault allegations facing the Minnesota Democrat. "Trump sees nothing but negatives in getting involved" in the Moore controversy, White House aides told Eliana Johnson and Alex Isenstadt. More: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=04877da16abfe16242117fa3f51620e21807cb48e6d8fef8f02ac4301164c4eb7f416b3243a15e6e42c07705785ea9fd

Related: The Alabama GOP reaffirmed its commitment to Moore on Thursday, David Weigel reports for the Washington Post.

WH MAKES NEW DISASTER AID REQUEST - The White House is expected to ask Congress today to approve at least $44 billion to help hurricane-ravaged areas in Texas, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands and Florida, Bres, Seung Min and Sarah Ferris report. The latest request, which falls short of what local officials were asking for, would be the "third aid installment in three months. Congress has already approved $52 billion in response to the spate of hurricanes that killed 260 people and caused hundreds of billions of dollars in damage." The disaster funding could get added to a year-end spending deal next month. More: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=04877da16abfe16289d153af565f5a5e482760a536784aff16ed3cd4049134cf04eed08430d0df767202b978f9b78cdd

CHC DENIES CURBELO'S BID TO JOIN - The Congressional Hispanic Caucus denied Rep. Carlos Curbelo's bid to join their all-Democratic club on Thursday. "I think it was pre-cooked," Curbelo told Huddle. "I will stand up to bigotry and discrimination no matter whether it comes from the right, the left, the middle." But the CHC shot back, with members saying they don't think Curbelo's values align with their group, no matter what party affiliation is by his name. Some CHC members were miffed he wouldn't sign onto the Dream Act and were turned off by the way he acted in a private fight between Curbelo and CHC Chairwoman Michelle Lujan Grisham (D-N.M.). "The policy you can grapple with - the
personal, now caucus members have to make a decision," said one member. More: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=04877da16abfe1624b024af4c8f7a59f7de5d87f873b9c8a424f25a38897f035fcab80a7144b472e9961914c46513af7

YOU'VE GOT MAIL - The Senate Judiciary Committee is requesting additional information from Jared Kushner after they say the president's son-in-law and top adviser failed to turn over Russia-related emails to the panel. "Kushner received emails in September 2016 about WikiLeaks and about a 'Russian backdoor overture and dinner invite' and forwarded them to another campaign official" but failed to give them to the Judiciary panel in a request last month, Kyle reports. More: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=04877da16abfe1622978fb20a3a2db590638d1311cae6de070073e472ac343f24d2a4b3281969c642a2e1e076adc7490

In other Russia news, special counsel Robert Mueller subpoenaed Trump's campaign "requesting Russia-related documents from more than a dozen top officials," the Wall Street Journal reports. "The subpoena, which requested documents and emails from the listed campaign officials that reference a set of Russia-related keywords, marked Mr. Mueller's first official order for information from the campaign," write Rebecca Ballhaus and Peter Nicholas. "The subpoena didn't compel any officials to testify before Mr. Mueller's grand jury, the person said." More: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=04877da16abfe162ace06d833f7ba9b34166b6d0e99bfd0a13ca83b90f6e7ccc23c9369e59f5725ae30af0acbc38011d


GILLIBRAND FACES FIRE FROM CLINTON-WORLD - New York Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand is facing blowback from Clinton-world after telling the New York Times that former President Bill Clinton should have resigned during the Monica Lewinsky scandal. "Over 20 yrs you took the Clintons' endorsements, money, and seat. Hypocrite," Philippe Reines, a top adviser to Hillary Clinton, tweeted in response. "Interesting strategy for 2020 primaries. Best of luck," he added. Kristen East with more: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=04877da16abfe16207125fb14f1a0bfde2212aeb81a6735693c774485e02707b9944e3dee1a72b573d523244f4c4df92

BYE BYE BLUE SLIP? Senate Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley escalated the chamber's ongoing judicial wars Thursday by scheduling a confirmation hearing for an appellate court nominee whose home-state senator, Al Franken, had been blocking for months. Franken said earlier this year that he would not return the so-called blue slip for nominee David Stras because of his conservative ideology. "Previous committee chairs have rigidly adhered to the blue-slip rule for district court nominees, whose courts span just a single state. But they have been more flexible for the more influential and powerful circuit courts," Seung Min reports. Grassley said he plans to keep the blue slip courtesy but
won't allow Democrats to use it as an unfettered veto tool. More: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=04877da16abfe162104a0faebb471789d3e60f7f8a927185877145dcf3980decedd076327d1838decd9dcf470096780d

LAWRENCE CHIEF OF STAFF RESIGNS - Rep. Brenda Lawrence's chief of staff resigned Thursday, a week after POLITICO reported the accounts of several former female lawmakers who said the top aide engaged in inappropriate comments and touching. "I will move forward with an investigation focused on the current and future climate of our workplace environment," Lawrence said in a statement announcing Dwayne Duron Marshall's resignation. Marshall has denied any wrongdoing. The Detroit News' Melissa Nann Burke: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=04877da16abfe16289c6c796c3ff10e7e0e2d939b3318442d38028cb061e6fed2746bc2ee2f29a7280092804cd63ea35

ARRIVAL LOUNGE - Andrea Palermo, communications director for Heritage Action, has a new gig as press secretary for Rep. Jim Banks (R-Ind.).

TODAY IN CONGRESS - The House and Senate are both out until after Thanksgiving.

AROUND THE HILL - Recess all I ever wanted, recess, have to get away. Happy almost-Thanksgiving week, y'all!

THURSDAY'S TRIVIA WINNER - Roey Hadar was first to guess that New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu's father, John Sununu, is the former governor of New Hampshire and also served as White House chief of staff under George H.W. Bush. His other son is former Sen. John E. Sununu.

TODAY'S TRIVIA - Roey with today's question: Of all current congressmen, senators, and governors, how many have been elected to all three posts and who are they? The first person to answer correctly gets a mention in the next edition of Huddle. Send your best guess my way: hcaygle@politico.com.

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