- Sen. Bob Menendez of New Jersey has defiantly said that he’s not stepping down from workplace.
- Menendez on Friday was charged with taking a whole bunch of hundreds of {dollars} price of bribes.
- “I am not going anywhere,” he stated in a assertion, whereas additionally referencing his Latino heritage.
Sen. Bob Menendez of New Jersey on Friday was charged with taking a whole bunch of hundreds of {dollars} price of bribes, the second time he has confronted federal corruption costs as a member of the higher chamber.
The veteran Democratic lawmaker briefly stepped down from his place as chairman of the Foreign Relations committee.
But after Damian Williams, the US lawyer for the Southern District of New York, introduced the senator’s costs and detailed what his workplace stated was an expansive corruption scheme, a slew of Garden State Democrats known as on their colleague to resign from workplace.
Rep. Andy Kim, the primary Democratic lawmaker within the state’s congressional delegation to inform Menendez to name it quits, on Saturday introduced he is difficult the senator in subsequent yr’s Democratic main.
Gov. Phil Murphy of New Jersey, together with Reps. Josh Gottheimer, Donald Norcross, Frank Pallone Jr., Bill Pascrell, and Mikie Sherrill, have additionally pressed the senator to resign.
But Menendez indicated he’s not leaving workplace.
“It is not lost on me how quickly some are rushing to judge a Latino and push him out of his seat,” he wrote in a assertion in response to Democratic officers who’ve publicly damaged with him. “I am not going anywhere.”
Menendez was appointed to the Senate in January 2006 by then-Gov. Jon Corzine, who beforehand held the seat and had simply taken workplace in Trenton. The senator was elected to a full time period later that yr and reelected in 2012 and 2018.
And Menendez is up for reelection subsequent yr, creating a politically-perilous scenario the place he may stand trial whereas additionally campaigning for a fourth full time period in workplace — a situation many Democrats would like not to see unfold.
Republicans, who would love to contest a race in a state the place their Senate nominees haven’t gained since 1972, rapidly pounced on the information of the senator’s indictment.
“Bob Menendez is a disgrace who abused his Senate seat and allegedly betrayed his country for a couple hundred thousand dollars,” Senate Republican marketing campaign committee spokesman Philip Letsou stated in a assertion. “Democrats covered for Menendez the first time he got indicted for corruption. It would be a shame if they did so again.”
In the 39-page indictment, which covers a timeframe of roughly 2018 to 2022, Menendez and his spouse — Nadine Menendez — are accused of aiding a number of Egyptian businessmen in change for bribes.
The indictment alleges that the senator “provided sensitive US government information and took other steps that secretly aided the Government of Egypt.”
Menendez in 2015 was accused of searching for to support a Florida eye physician in change for items and marketing campaign contributions, however the case resulted in a mistrial in 2017.
“To those who were digging my political grave so that they could jump into my seat, I know who you are, and I won’t forget you,” the senator stated on the time.
