More than a dozen Senate Democrats called on their colleague, Sen. Bob Menendez, to resign after the bombshell indictment was unearthed in federal court last Friday.
Sen. Cory Booker issued a statement Tuesday calling on Menendez, also from New Jersey, to resign following the presidential election. federal corruption charges related to foreign transactions with the Egyptian government;
“Resigning is not an admission of guilt, but rather an acknowledgment that holding public office requires great sacrifice, often accompanied by great personal sacrifice,” Booker said in a statement. “Senator Menendez has made these sacrifices to serve in the past, and he must make similar sacrifices in this case. It is important for those who Sen. Menendez has dedicated his life to serve that stepping down is an important decision. I believe that is the best.”
As of noon Tuesday, 13 Senate Democrats are calling for Menendez to resign.
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New Jersey Democratic Sen. Bob Menendez attends a Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee hearing in Washington, D.C. (Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
The list of senators includes Sens. Bennet, Fetterman, Kelly, Booker, Brown, Welch, Baldwin, Tester, Casey, Klobuchar, Rosen, Heinrich, and Warren.
More than a dozen Senate Democrats and several House members, including former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, have also called for Menendez to resign.
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Democratic Sens. Cory Booker and Bob Menendez (Getty Images)
Pelosi: “If I were to resign, it would probably be a good idea.” he told MSNBC.
Menendez’s office did not respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital.
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Photo evidence shows gold bars given by Fred Dives and found at the home of Democratic New Jersey Sens. Robert Menendez and Nadine Menendez. (U.S. District Court)
At a news conference Monday, Menendez sounded defiant, saying he expected to be acquitted of the charges.
“Those who believe in justice believe in innocence until proven guilty, and I intend to continue fighting for the people of New Jersey with the same success I have over the past 50 years,” Menendez said.
“This is the same record of success that these same leaders have long praised. I don’t understand why there are people who are so quick to criticize Latinos and try to throw them out of their seats. I’m not going anywhere.”
of Press conference The rally, held at Hudson County Community College in Union City, New Jersey, came after federal indictments against Menendez, his wife Nadine, New Jersey businessman Wael Hana and Jose were dismissed Friday in the Southern District of New York. It was the senator’s first public appearance since. Uribe and Fred Duives participated in a multi-year bribery scheme.
Since 2018, federal prosecutors allege, the three businessmen have offered cash, gold and Mercedes cars in exchange for Menendez agreeing to use his power and influence to protect himself. In all, he paid hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes, including a Mercedes Benz and other valuables. It enriches them and benefits the Egyptian government.
Fox News Digital’s Danielle Wallace contributed to this report.
