Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey joined calls from his Democratic colleagues for Sen. Bob Menendez to resign in the wake of a federal indictment accusing him of corruption-related offenses.
Booker said he found the allegations against Menendez “hard to reconcile with the person I know.” A growing number of Senate Democrats have called on Menendez to resign in the wake of the indictment on Tuesday. Many of them said that he should be presumed innocent until proven guilty while asserting senators should be held to a higher standard that requires “public trust.”
“While Senator Menendez enjoys the presumption of innocence until proven guilty and will have his day in court to defend himself, I believe it’s best for his constituents, the American people, and our national security for the Senator to step down,” Baldwin, of Wisconsin, said in a statement Tuesday morning.
Tester, who faces a tough reelection in Montana next year, echoed Baldwin’s sentiments.
“I’ve read the detailed charges against Senator Menendez and find them deeply disturbing. While he deserves a fair trial like every other American, I believe Senator Menendez should resign for the sake of the public’s faith in the U.S. Senate,” he said in a statement.
The lack of support from Menendez’s Democratic colleagues comes despite the slim majority the party holds in the Senate. Sens. Peter Welch of Vermont, Sherrod Brown of Ohio and John Fetterman of Pennsylvania also called for Menendez’s resignation.
Rosen, who is up for reelection next year in Nevada, issued a statement also on Tuesday.
“The well-documented political corruption charges are a violation of the public trust, and Senator Menendez should resign,” Rosen said. “While he is entitled to due process and a fair trial, this is a distraction that undermines the bipartisan work we need to do in the Senate for the American people.”
Fetterman, who was the first to call for Menendez’s resignation over the weekend, will return $5,000 in donations his campaign received from Menendez’s political action committee, according to the Pennsylvania Democrat’s office.
Menendez and his wife, Nadine Arslanian Menendez, are accused of accepting “hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes” in exchange for the senator’s influence. Prosecutors allege the bribes included gold, cash, home mortgage payments, compensation for a “low-or-no-show job” and a luxury vehicle.
In an appearance on Monday, Menendez was defiant to calls for his resignation and accused those who “rushed to judgment” of doing so for “political expediency.”
“I recognize this will be the biggest fight yet,” Menendez said, referencing the legal battle ahead. “But as I have stated throughout this whole process, I firmly believe that when all the facts are presented, not only will I be exonerated, but I still will be New Jersey’s senior senator.”
A lawyer for Menendez’s wife, Nadine Arslanian Menendez, said she denies any wrongdoing and would fight the federal indictment.
The New Jersey senator, who is up for reelection next year and has been in the Senate since 2006, previously fought off federal bribery and corruption charges that were brought in 2015.
He has accused “forces behind the scenes” of attempting to silence him and end his political career.
Rep. Andy Kim, who represents New Jersey’s 3rd Congressional District, announced Saturday that he plans to challenge Menendez in the Democratic primary next year should Menendez run for reelection.
This story has been updated with additional information.
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