On Monday, Sens. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) and Peter Welch (D-Vt.) grew to become the second and third Democratic senators to name for the resignation of their peer, Sen. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), after federal prosecutors indicted him on corruption fees final week.
In a 39-page indictment, federal prosecutors in New York accused Menendez and his spouse of accepting bribes — together with money, a luxurious car and gold bars — from three businessmen to push ahead the agenda of the Egyptian authorities.
On Monday, Brown grew to become the second Democratic senator to sentence Menendez, following Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.).
“Senator Menendez has damaged the general public belief and will resign from the U.S. Senate,” Brown mentioned in a one-sentence statement.
Welch’s statement adopted.
“Senator Menendez is entitled to the presumption of innocence. However the folks of New Jersey and the USA Senate are entitled to an efficient Senator. The stunning and particular allegations towards Senator Menendez have wholly compromised his capability to be that efficient Senator,” he mentioned. “I encourage Senator Menendez to resign.”
A spokesperson for Fetterman, the first Democratic senator to push for Menendez’s resignation, mentioned on Monday that he would return Menendez’s $5,000 marketing campaign donation.
“He’s entitled to the presumption of innocence, however he can’t proceed to wield affect over nationwide coverage, particularly given the intense and particular nature of the allegations,” Fetterman wrote on X, previously often called Twitter, on Saturday. “I hope he chooses an honorable exit and focuses on his trial.”
Rep. Dean Phillips of Minnesota, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy and different Democratic Social gathering leaders have additionally known as for Menendez’s resignation.
At a Monday press convention, Menendez mentioned that the lawmakers urging him to resign “have rushed to judgment … on a restricted set of details.” He added: “I shall be exonerated and proceed to be the senior senator from New Jersey.”
Menendez was beforehand indicted in 2015 after being accused of accepting bribes from a Florida physician, however the trial concluded with a hung jury, and the choose dismissed the case in 2017.
