Trent Franks
Trent Franks | |
|---|---|
Official portrait, 2015 | |
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Arizona | |
| In office January 3, 2003 – December 8, 2017 | |
| Preceded by | Bob Stump (Redistricting) |
| Succeeded by | Debbie Lesko |
| Constituency | 2nd district (2003–2013) 8th district (2013–2017) |
| Member of the Arizona House of Representatives from the 20th district | |
| In office January 1985 – January 1987 | |
| Preceded by | Glenn Davis |
| Succeeded by | Bobby Raymond |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Harold Trent Franks June 19, 1957 Uravan, Colorado, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse |
Josephine Franks (m. 1980) |
| Children | 2 |
| Education | Ottawa University, Arizona (Did not graduate) |
Harold Trent Franks (born June 19, 1957) is an American businessman and former politician who served as the U.S. representative for Arizona's 8th congressional district from 2003 to 2017 (numbered as the 2nd district from 2003 to 2013). He is a member of the Republican Party. During his tenure, Franks served as vice chairman of the United States House Armed Services Subcommittee on Strategic Forces and chairman of the United States House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights and Civil Liberties.
In December 2017, the House Ethics Committee announced that it would investigate allegations of sexual harassment against Franks. Franks had repeatedly asked two female staffers to bear his children as surrogate mothers, and allegedly offered one of them $5 million to carry his child and retaliated against her when she declined. The women feared that Franks wanted to impregnate them sexually as part of the surrogacy process. Franks acknowledged discussing surrogacy with the aides but denied the other allegations; he resigned from Congress immediately after the ethics investigation was announced, blaming his situation on "the current cultural and media climate".