The calls for Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ) to resign from office are mounting after he was indicted on federal bribery and corruption charges last week.
Over the weekend, Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA) became the first Democratic senator to publicly call on Menendez to resign.
“He’s entitled to the presumption of innocence under our system, but he is not entitled to continue to wield influence over national policy, especially given the serious and specific nature of the allegations,” Fetterman said in a statement. “I hope he chooses an honorable exit and focuses on his trial.”
He is so far the only Senate Democrat to make a resignation call. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) announced Friday that Menendez would step down from his committee chairmanship, but signaled he wouldn’t push for a resignation.
“Bob Menendez has been a dedicated public servant and is always fighting hard for the people of New Jersey. He has a right to due process and a fair trial,” Schumer said Friday, before saying the senator would step down from the House Foreign Affairs Committee “temporarily.”
Menendez faces three counts in a Manhattan federal indictment, which was unsealed on Friday. Menendez and his wife Nadine have been accused of taking gold bars, furniture, a Mercedes-Benz convertible, cash, and other favors from three New Jersey businessmen in exchange for official acts, according to the indictment.
Those official acts allegedly included transferring sensitive government information to the government of Egypt, trying to thwart state and federal criminal investigations of his associates, among other things.
Meanwhile, Democrats in the lower chamber have been more vocal around the issue.
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) called on Menendez to step down and pushed back on his claim that he is being targeted because he is a Latino lawmaker.
“As a Latina, there are absolutely ways in which there is systemic bias. But I think what is here in this indictment is quite clear,” Ocasio-Cortez said on CBS’ “Face the Nation.”
California Democratic Reps. Adam Schiff, Eric Swalwell and Katie Porter also joined the public calls, urging the New Jersey Democrat to step down.
Swalwell also took advantage of the opportunity to debunk the persistent GOP argument that the Department of Justice is being “weaponized” against Republicans.
“This just shows that the rule of law applies to everyone,” Swalwell said on MSNBC. “Whether it’s the former president, whether it’s the current president’s son or whether it’s a Democratic senator.”
On Friday, New Jersey Democrats — including Reps. Andy Kim and Mikie Sherill (D-NJ) and Gov. Phil Murphy — were quick to demand that Menendez resign. If Menendez were to step down, it would open up a competitive race among New Jersey Democrats eyeing his seat, including those from the state’s congressional delegation who were quick to call on him to step down.
As the calls for his resignation mount, Menendez is expected to hold a press conference later today.
Everyone needs to call for him to resign!
Why has Corey Booker been silent?
Only reason I can imagine he might resign for is a plea deal.
I was disappointed, although not entirely surprised, to see Schumer come out so early in support. Glad to see that it’s not quelling others from coming out and saying their piece. Josh’s column says it best. “How innocent are you, Bob?” As an aside, many moons ago when Menendez was coming up he and John Corzine would occasionally show up at a restaurant in Hoboken I worked in. You’ll be shocked to hear that we had teachers and firefighters that were much better tippers.
I’ve reached out last night to my Senators (Durbin and Duckworth) regarding this. I wrote that not only does the United States Senate deserve better, but so do the American people. Durbin was on one of the Sunday morning shows talking about how this is a decision for Menendez and his constituents. This is the same claptrap republicans have been promoting about George Santos.
Not only is asking Menendez the right moral thing to do, it’s also the right political thing to do. Even if he doesn’t resign, our Democratic leaders can, in the words of Kate Riga, “Get caught trying.” It will allow Democrats to campaign on the basis of no one being above the law in contrast with the other party in the thrall of an authoritarian.
It’s doubtful that milquetoast Durbin will change his mind or even bother responding—he’s far too concerned with Senate decorum and getting along with his republican friends than to take a stand. Duckworth isn’t much better.
Both are poster children on why Dems under-perform in our elections.