Freedom Caucus congressman who was under an ethics investigation resigns immediately after wife admitted to hospital

Cliff Owen/AP

Rep. Trent Franks, R-Ariz. speaks with a reporter on Capitol Hill in Washington, Friday, March 24, 2017.

• Republican Rep. Trent Franks of Arizona said he was resigning effective immediately on Friday after his wife was admitted to the hospital.
• Franks's resignation comes amid sexual harassment allegations from former female staffers who alleged he asked them to bear his child as a surrogate.
• He is reportedly the first Republican congressman to resign amid a wave of sexual misconduct allegations.

Republican Rep. Trent Franks of Arizona is resigning effective immediately Friday after his wife was admitted to a hospital in Washington, DC.

"Last night, my wife was admitted to the hospital in Washington, D.C. due to an ongoing ailment," Franks' wrote in a statement. "After discussing options with my family, we came to the conclusion that the best thing for our family now would be for me to tender my previous resignation effective today, December 8th, 2017."

Franks disclosed in a statement that his wife has "long struggled with infertility" and suffered three miscarriages.

Franks, a member of the conservative Freedom Caucus, was embroiled in controversy this week after allegations of sexual harassment surfaced from former female staffers. Franks had reportedly asked two female subordinates to bear his child as a surrogate, prompting an Ethics Committee investigation.

According to an Associated Press report Friday, Franks had offered an aide $5 million to carry his child.

In a statement on Thursday, Franks said that he would resign on January 31, 2018, citing "hyperbolized public excoriation" and becoming "deeply convinced I would be unable to complete a fair House Ethics investigation before distorted and sensationalized versions of this story" would affect his family and colleagues.

"I deeply regret that my discussion of this option and process in the workplace caused distress," Franks continued.

Franks is the third member of Congress and the first Republican to announce his plans to resign amid sexual harassment allegations, according to Politico.