Ranking Member Sen. Bob Menendez (DN.J.) arrives for a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on Thursday, June 20, 2019.
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Pennsylvania’s John Fetterman on Saturday became the first Democratic U.S. senator to call on New Jersey Sen. Bob Menendez to resign after he was indicted on Friday on criminal bribery charges.
“While he is entitled to the presumption of innocence, he cannot continue to influence national policy, especially given the serious and unique nature of the allegations.” fetterman he said on Saturday. “We hope he chooses an honorable exit and focuses on the trial.”
Fetterman’s statement joins a chorus of calls for the newly indicted Democratic senator to resign.
On Friday, New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy, the state Assembly speaker and the Democratic State Committee chairman all called on Menendez to resign following the indictment by fellow Democrats.
“The allegations in the indictment against Sen. Menendez and the other four defendants are extremely disturbing.” murphy about Menendez, the state’s senior senator.
“These are serious charges that concern national security and the integrity of our criminal justice system,” Murphy said.
“The allegations are so serious that they undermine Sen. Menendez’s ability to effectively represent the people of this state. Therefore, I call on Sen. Menendez to carry out his duties.” immediate resignation. ”
congress speaker craig coughlin “The charges brought against Senator Menendez today go against everything we should believe in as public servants.
“We are given the trust of the people, and once that trust is broken, we cannot continue,” Coughlin said, adding that Menendez is the key to “moving New Jersey and the United States forward.” He added that he needed to resign.
Democratic State Committee Chairman leroy jones jr.. Menendez said he should resign “to ensure New Jerseyans continue to receive the federal representation they deserve.”
Jones also addressed the upcoming state elections in November, saying Menendez’s resignation will allow Democrats to “stay focused” on state-level elections.
New Jersey Democratic members of Congress, including Representatives Andy Kim and Mikie Sherrill, also called on Menendez to resign.
U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Bob Menendez (DN.J.) and his wife Nadine Arslanian attend a meeting with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and his wife Mareva Mitsotakis in the East Room of the White House in Washington, DC. Arrived at the reception to praise. , May 16, 2022.
Chip Somodevilla | Getty Images
Menendez responded to his critics late Friday. “Those who believe in justice believe in innocence until proven guilty. I will continue to fight for the people of New Jersey with the same success I have over the past 50 years,” he said in a statement.
“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,” he added.
The statement signaled how intense the debate over the senator’s political future could become.
Despite Menendez’s defiance, calls for his resignation continued over the weekend.
With Congressman Fetterman. josh gottheimer Donald Norcross also urged Menendez to resign on Saturday. Mr. Norcross is a longtime member of the South Jersey House of Representatives. openly supported Old Menendez. His brother, George Norcross, was once a highly influential Democratic power broker in South Jersey and helped raise money for Menendez’s campaign.
“While the senator has many accomplishments over his decades in public service, we cannot afford to let him get distracted, so we are working with Senator Menendez to address these allegations,” said Representative Donald Norcross in a statement. Lawmakers should step aside.”
Mr. Menendez, 69, and his wife, Nadine Menendez, were indicted on three criminal charges, as were three New Jersey businessmen who were charged with two of the charges.
The couple is accused of accepting hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes over at least four years, in exchange for which the senator provided political favors to three businessmen.
Prosecutors allege the favors included providing sensitive national security information to Egyptian officials.
Mr. Menendez insisted in a statement that he and his wife had no problems and accused prosecutors of “misrepresenting the normal operations of a Congressional office.”
He did not address specific charges, other than to say that “the facts are not as presented.”
“Bob Menendez is a dedicated public servant who always fights hard for the people of New Jersey,” Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said in a statement.
Mr. Menendez was appointed to the Senate in 2005, won re-election on his own three times, and will face voters again in 2024. difficult senate map Next year, he will defend 23 of the 33 contested seats in the Senate.
States with a single Democratic majority, like New Jersey, have far fewer Senate seat flips than swing states with more competitive elections.
In New Jersey, for example, only four people have been elected to the Senate in the past 23 years, the last being Sen. Cory Booker in 2013.
If Menendez resigns or retires at the end of his current term, there will likely be a fight for the Senate seat. draw a person of the state’s elected Democrats. Here are some of the top names that have already surfaced on Friday: Gottheimer, Kim and Norcross, Sheryl.
Kim officially takes office on Saturday announced The Senate campaign said it was “forced” to enter the race because Menendez refused to resign.
New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin in a statement Late Friday afternoon, he said: “This allegation is deeply disturbing to me and my office, and we are already considering the concerns raised by the indictment.”
“As the currently unsealed indictment makes clear, Mr. Menendez is suspected of attempting to pressure the department’s leadership under the previous administration,” Platkin said.
“The conduct alleged in the indictment occurred before I became Attorney General and involved matters that were resolved before I became Attorney General. We have fully cooperated with the District’s investigation and will continue to do so.”We are also conducting our own internal investigation into the allegations contained in the indictment. ”