Sen. Bob Menendez got here underneath heavy stress to resign Tuesday as a surging variety of his Democratic colleagues within the Senate, together with fellow New Jersey Democrat Cory Booker, urged him to step apart over the federal bribery allegations towards him.
Greater than 20 Senate Democrats have now mentioned that Menendez ought to resign, together with a number of Democrats operating for reelection subsequent 12 months. Requires his resignation got here in fast succession after Booker’s assertion, together with from the top of the Senate Democrats’ marketing campaign arm, Michigan Sen. Gary Peters. Menendez has refused to go away workplace however has not but mentioned whether or not he’ll run for reelection subsequent 12 months.
Menendez, the longtime chairman and high Democrat on the highly effective Senate International Relations Committee, and his spouse Nadine are accused in an indictment launched Friday of utilizing his place to help the authoritarian authorities of Egypt and to stress federal prosecutors to drop a case towards a pal, amongst different allegations of corruption. The three-count indictment says they had been paid bribes — gold bars, a luxurious automotive and money — by three New Jersey businessmen in trade for the corrupt acts.
In his assertion, Booker mentioned that whereas Menendez deserves the presumption of innocence, senators ought to adhere to a better commonplace, and the main points of the allegations towards Menendez have “shaken to the core” the religion and belief of his constituents. He mentioned the indictment of Menendez consists of “stunning allegations of corruption and particular, disturbing particulars of wrongdoing.”
“As senators, we function within the public belief,” Booker mentioned. “That belief is important to our capability to do our work and carry out our duties for our constituents.”
Menendez has denied any wrongdoing, saying he merely carried out as any senator would and that the practically half million {dollars} in money present in his dwelling — together with some stuffed in pockets of clothes — was from private financial savings and stored at hand for emergencies. Authorities recovered about 10 cash-filled envelopes that had the fingerprints of one of many different defendants within the case on them, based on the indictment.
Menendez, alongside along with his spouse and two of the businessmen co-defendants, are to be arraigned Wednesday.
One other defendant, Wael Hana, was arrested at New York’s Kennedy airport Tuesday after returning voluntarily from Egypt to face the costs. In line with the indictment, Hana served as a conduit to Menendez for Egyptian navy and intelligence officers, passing messages to and from the senator and arranging conferences.
Menendez’s defiance in latest days is much like his insistence that he was harmless after he first confronted federal bribery prices eight years in the past — a case that ended with a deadlocked jury in 2017. As he did then, he’s stepping down from his management place on the International Relations panel, as per Senate Democratic caucus guidelines. However he has in any other case made clear that he’s not going anyplace.
“I acknowledge this would be the greatest struggle but, however as I’ve said all through this entire course of, I firmly imagine that when all of the information are introduced, not solely will I be exonerated, however I nonetheless shall be New Jersey’s senior senator,” Menendez mentioned on Monday at Hudson County Neighborhood School’s campus in Union Metropolis, the place he grew up.
The requires his resignation are in sharp distinction, although, to his first case. And Booker’s name is particularly important within the clubby Senate, the place dwelling state colleagues are likely to keep away from public criticism of one another. Booker and Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, testified as character witnesses in Menendez’s final trial.
The growing Democratic requires Menendez to resign put elevated stress on Senate Majority Chief Chuck Schumer and different Democratic leaders who’ve to this point stopped in need of recommending that Menendez step down. Schumer has not commented on the indictment since saying in an announcement on Friday that Menendez would step down from the International Relations panel.
The White Home additionally declined to weigh in. Press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre advised reporters aboard Air Power One which “the senator did the correct factor by standing down from his chairmanship.” She didn’t say whether or not President Joe Biden believed he ought to resign from his seat, nor would she touch upon how his presence would have an effect on public religion within the Senate.
“That’s for Senate management to talk to, that’s for Sen. Menendez to talk to,” she mentioned.
Democratic senators calling for Menendez to step down on Monday and Tuesday included Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin, Jon Tester of Montana, Jacky Rosen of Nevada, Bob Casey of Pennsylvania, Michael Bennet of Colorado, Mark Kelly of Arizona, Mazie Hirono of Hawaii, Martin Heinrich of New Mexico, Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota, Raphael Warnock of Georgia, Kirsten Gillibrand of New York, Sen. Chris Murphy of Connecticut, Maggie Hassan of New Hampshire and Elizabeth Warren and Ed Markey of Massachusetts.
Democratic Sens. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania, Peter Welch of Vermont and Sherrod Brown of Ohio all known as for his resignation over the weekend. The variety of calls from the Senate Democratic caucus was anticipated to develop.
If Menendez does run for reelection, he’ll face at the very least one challenger in a major: Democratic Rep. Andy Kim introduced over the weekend that he’ll run for the Senate due to the costs towards the state’s senior senator.
And Menendez would doubtless be operating with out the help of his social gathering. Peters, who urged his resignation Tuesday, is the chairman of the Democratic Senatorial Marketing campaign Committee, which offers marketing campaign help to incumbent Democratic senators and challengers.
Peters mentioned in an announcement Monday night that Menendez isn’t in a position to serve successfully. “As elected officers, the general public entrusts us to serve of their greatest pursuits and in the most effective pursuits of our nation,” Peters mentioned.
In courtroom on Tuesday, a decide ordered Hana freed pending trial on $300,000 money bail and a $5 million bond.
Hana’s lawyer, Lawrence Lustberg, mentioned after the listening to that his shopper is harmless and has an extended friendship with Nadine Menendez that predated her marriage to the senator by years. “He has pleaded not responsible as a result of he’s not responsible,” Lustberg mentioned.
Prosecutors say Hana gave the senator’s spouse, Nadine Menendez, a “low-show or no-show job,” paid $23,000 towards her dwelling mortgage, wrote $30,000 checks to her consulting firm, promised her envelopes of money, despatched her train gear and purchased a number of the gold bars that had been discovered within the couple’s dwelling.
Hana additionally sought the senator’s assist in heading off criticism from U.S. agricultural officers after Egyptian officers gave his firm a profitable monopoly over certifying that imported meat met non secular requirements, the indictment mentioned.
