Menendez calls for resignation by growing number of Democrats in US Senate

WASHINGTON – More than two dozen U.S. Senate Democrats are calling on New Jersey Democratic Sen. Bob Menendez to resign after he was impeached for a second time on corruption charges.

WASHINGTON – More than two dozen U.S. Senate Democrats are calling on New Jersey Democratic Sen. Bob Menendez to resign after he was impeached for a second time on corruption allegations.

Among the 26 senators registered Tuesday night was a Democratic senator from New Jersey. Cory Bookerwho said in a statement that Menendez’s refusal to step down was a “mistake.”

“Stepping down is not an admission of guilt, but an acknowledgment that holding public office often involves enormous sacrifices at great personal cost,” Booker said.

Menendez, who temporarily stepped down as chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, strongly denied the accusations and reiterated that there is no such intention give up.

“I realize this will be the biggest fight yet, but as I have said throughout this trial, I firmly believe that when all the facts are presented, not only will I be acquitted, but I will continue to be New Jersey’s senior senator,” he added. Menendez said on Monday.

Booker was the first Democratic member of the Foreign Relations Committee to call on Menendez to resign.

Defiant Senator Menendez says he will not resign from the US Senate

Additional Democratic senators calling for Menendez to resign include Bob Casey and John Fetterman of Pennsylvania; Elizabeth Warren and Ed Markey of Massachusetts; Peter Welch of Vermont; Sherrod Brown of Ohio; Jon Tester of Montana; Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin; Jacky Rosen of Nevada; Martin Heinrich of New Mexico; Mark Kelly of Arizona; Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota; Michael Bennet and Joh Hickenlooper Colorado; Kirsten Gillibrand of New York; Maggie Hassan of New Hampshire; Mazie Hirono from Hawaii; and Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff of Georgia; Gary Peters of Michigan; Chris Murphy and Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut; and Tammy Duckworth of Illinois.

Independent Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders also called on Menendez to resign.

“The covenant we have with the American people is sacred, and ensuring the public believes that those of us we elect to serve work for them, not other interests, is of the utmost importance,” Warnock said in a statement.

“Senator Menendez has every right to make his case in our courts, but for the sake of public trust in our institutions and our democracy, he should step down and resign.”

Breach of public trust

Nearly all Senate Democrats argued that while Menendez is innocent until proven guilty, the allegations are egregious enough to constitute a violation of the public trust and urged him to resign.

“He is entitled to the presumption of innocence, but he cannot continue to influence national politics, especially given the serious and specific nature of the allegations,” Fetterman, who was the first Democrat to call for Menendez’s resignation, wrote on Xformerly Twitter.

Several senators have already announced that they intend to distribute campaign funds received from Menendez’s political action committee.

Tester and Casey, who are facing tough 2024 re-election campaigns, said they are each making $10,000 in contributions from Menendez’s PACs, according to Hill.

As part of the campaign, Tester will donate $10,000 to a veterans charity, and Casey will donate his $10,000 to an unspecified organization as part of the campaign.

“Public service is a sacred trust,” Casey said in a statement. “The specific allegations contained in the federal indictment establish that Senator Menendez repeatedly violated that trust.”

Fetterman also announced a $5,000 refund from a PAC associated with Menendez, according to CNBC.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, a Democrat from New York, said on the Senate floor last week that Menendez “rightly” stepped down as foreign relations chairman and did not express an opinion on whether Menendez should remain in office.

“Bob Menendez was a dedicated public servant and always fought hard for the people of New Jersey,” Schumer said. “He is entitled to a fair trial and due process.”

The White House has largely moved away from the issue. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Monday that whether Menendez resigns “will certainly be up to him and the Senate leadership.”

But not all senators are calling on him to step down.

Republican Sen. Tom Cotton of Arkansas criticized the Justice Department for prosecuting Menendez.

“He should be judged by New Jersey juries and voters, not by Democratic politicians who currently find him inconvenient to their hold on power.” – Cotton he said on X.

And when he asked on MSNBCMichigan Democratic Sen. Debbie Stabenow said she wanted to “let it move forward this week and see what happens.”

Menendez’s accusations

Federal authorities last weekk charged New Jersey’s senior state senator with one count each of conspiracy to commit bribery, conspiracy to commit candid services fraud, and conspiracy to commit extortion under the guise of official law.

Menendez and his wife, Nadine Menendez, are accused of accepting bribes worth hundreds of thousands of dollars in exchange for official favors to lend a hand the three men – Wael Hana, Jose Uribe and Fred Daibes – and the Egyptian people. The indictment named Nadine Menendez, Hana, Uribe and Daibes.

A handful of New Jersey lawmakers have also called for Menendez’s resignation, including Democratic U.S. Reps. Andy Kim, Bill Pascrell Jr., Josh Gottheimer and Tom Malinowski.

Kim too soon announced plans to run for Menendez’s seat.

This isn’t the first time federal prosecutors have charged Menendez. In 2018, New Jersey prosecutors dropped a case in which Menendez was accused of making campaign contributions and other bribes in exchange for official favors.

Article updated on September 26, 2023 at 20:10 to update the list of senators calling on Menendez to resign.