The New York Times editorial board called for indicted Sen. Bob Menendez’s (D-NJ) resignation in Friday’s edition of the newspaper.
“He would be doing a disservice to New Jersey by clinging to power as a disgraced politician,” the editorial read. “His colleagues in the Senate should demand that he step aside.”
A Justice Department indictment released Wednesday showed the New Jersey Democrat was charged with 14 counts of federal corruption for allegedly leveraging the power of his office to benefit his longtime donor and friend Dr. Salomon Melgen’s personal and business interests.
The Times editorial pointed to Menendez’s advocacy on Melgen’s behalf in an overbilling dispute between the Florida ophthalmologist and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services as the most damning evidence in the corruption case.
“Senate staff members routinely work on behalf of constituents, but there appears to be no reasonable explanation for the hours of work they put into a billing dispute on behalf of a doctor from another state,” the editorial read.
