Minnesota Democrat Al Franken, facing fresh allegations of misconduct towards women, has announced his resignation from Congress on Thursday.

Support from his Democratic colleagues had vanished in recent days, and many had urged him to step aside and said they expected he would “do the right thing.”

Franken made the announcement at 11:50AM in a speech on the Senate floor, saying he would step aside “in the coming weeks.”

“Today I am announcing that in the coming weeks, I will be resigning as a member of the United States Senate,” said Franken, adding, “It’s become clear that I can’t both pursue the ethics committee process and at the same time remain an effective senator for [the people of Minnesota].”

“I may be resigning my seat, but I am not giving up my voice,” Franken said in the otherwise-hushed Senate chamber.

A majority of the Senate’s Democrats called on the two-term lawmaker to quit after at least eight women made allegations against Franken alleging inappropriate behavior.

Franken, the former comedian who made his name on “Saturday Night Live,” was recently mentioned in talk about the 2020 presidential campaign. Franken had originally sought to remain in the Senate and cooperate with an ethics investigation, saying he would work to regain the trust of Minnesotans.

The tipping point seemed to come earlier in the day Wednesday, when, in what was a coordinated effort, Sens. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., Mazie Hirono, D-Hawaii, Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., Maggie Hassan, D-N.H., Patty Murray, D-Wash., Kamala Harris, D-Calif., Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis., each called for Franken to resign.

“I know in my heart that nothing I have done as a senator — nothing — has brought dishonor on this institution,” Franken declared Thursday.

Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton, a fellow Democrat, would name a temporary replacement. The winner of a special election in November would serve through the end of Franken’s term in January of 2021. Among the possibilities is Lt. Gov. Tina Smith, a trusted ally.

The pressure on him to leave mounted this week after Rep. John Conyers, D-Mich., resigned following numerous allegations of misconduct. Rep Ruben Kihuen, D-Nev., faces pressure to resign as well over allegations.

While Franken is departing, Alabama GOP Senate candidate Roy Moore could be arriving, if he prevails in a Dec. 12 special election. There are multiple accusations against the 70-year-old Moore when he was a deputy district attorney in his 30s. If Moore is elected, it could create a political nightmare for Republicans, who have promised an ethics probe.

(AP)