After four days of silence since Sen. Bob Menendez was indicted, his fellow New Jersey Democrat, Sen. Cory Booker, called for his resignation Tuesday, the latest reaction from the state’s congressional delegation and more than a dozen Democratic U.S. senators based on the stunning charges of bribery and public corruption.
“Sen. Menendez fiercely asserts his innocence and it is therefore understandable that he believes stepping down is patently unfair,” Booker said in a statement. “But I believe this is a mistake. I believe stepping down is best for those Sen. Menendez has spent his life serving.”
Among Democratic senators calling for Menendez to resign are those running for reelection in 2024, including Sens. Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin, Sherrod Brown of Ohio, Bob Casey of Pennsylvania, Martin Heinrich of New Mexico, Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota, Jacky Rosen of Nevada and Jon Tester of Montana.
“Stepping down is not an admission of guilt but an acknowledgment that holding public office often demands tremendous sacrifices at great personal cost,” Booker said. “Sen. Menendez has made these sacrifices in the past to serve. And in this case he must do so again.”
Booker stood by Menendez when he was indicted in 2015, telling HuffPost, “Bob is my friend. There’s no senator I’ve worked more closely with. He is an extraordinary senator. I’ve seen him in the most intimate moments and didn’t see a hint of corruption. I will stand by Bob Menendez.”
Menendez denies allegations
Menendez denies the allegations, saying Monday the “allegations leveled against me are just that,” saying this “will be the biggest fight yet” but that he “firmly believes that when all the facts are presented” he will be exonerated.
Booker joins Gov. Phil Murphy and other New Jersey Democrats who have called on Menendez to step down in stark contrast to the 2015 indictment he faced when his party largely stood behind him. In that case, the jury deadlocked and the trial ended in a mistrial. The Justice Department dropped the charges in 2018.
“These are serious charges that implicate national security and the integrity of our criminal justice system,” Murphy said Friday. “Under our legal system, Sen. Menendez and the other defendants have not been found guilty and will have the ability to present evidence disputing these charges, and we must respect the process.
“However, the alleged facts are so serious that they compromise the ability of Senator Menendez to effectively represent the people of our state,” Murphy said.
Members of the state’s congressional delegation have also issued statements calling for Menendez to resign, including Reps. Mikie Sherrill, Bill Pascrell, Frank Pallone and Andy Kim. Menendez is up for re-election net year, and Kim has said he will challenge Menendez in the Democratic primary.
Murphy’s legislative counterparts echoed the sentiment, with state Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin saying that the charges “go against everything we should believe as public servants.”
Democratic Reps. Donald Payne Jr. and Bonnie Watson Coleman, and Republican Rep. Chris Smith called the charges “very serious” and “concerning” but stopped short of saying he should step down, both noting he is innocent until proved guilty. The senator’s son, Rob Menendez Jr., who represents the 8th district, issued a strong statement of support saying he “has unwavering confidence” in his father.
What does the indictment say?
The three-count indictment alleged that Menendez, his wife, Nadine Arslanian Menendez, and the three businessmen — Wael Hana, Jose Uribe and Fred Daibes — were part of a bribery scheme from 2018 to 2022.
Robert Menendez, who headed the Senate Foreign Relations Committee before stepping aside while under indictment, allegedly passed along sensitive information about U.S. embassy staff in Cairo, according to the indictment. He also allegedly sought to maintain a U.S. monopoly for a Egyptian provider of halal meat, according to the indictment.
Menendez also allegedly called the New Jersey attorney general’s office to influence the prosecution of a relative of one of his co-defendants, according to the indictment. And Menendez sought the appointment of a U.S. attorney who would be more favorable to another co-defendant who was under investigation, according to the indictment.
In exchange, Menendez received more than $480,000 in cash, gold bars worth about $150,000 and help buying a new Mercedez Benz car for Nadine Menendez, according to the indictment.
More:Bob Menendez is running a playbook that looks like Donald Trump’s. Can it work?
More:Sen. Menendez and his wife indicted on corruption charges
Other Dems urge resignation as well
Booker joins Gov. Phil Murphy and other New Jersey Democrats who have called on Menendez to step down in stark contrast to the 2015 indictment he faced when his party largely stood behind him. In that case, the jury deadlocked and the trial ended in a mistrial. The Justice Department dropped the charges in 2018.
“These are serious charges that implicate national security and the integrity of our criminal justice system,” Murphy said Friday. “Under our legal system, Senator Menendez and the other defendants have not been found guilty and will have the ability to present evidence disputing these charges, and we must respect the process.
“However, the alleged facts are so serious that they compromise the ability of Senator Menendez to effectively represent the people of our state,” Murphy said.
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