House Democrats call on Sen. Bob Menendez to resign

The first Democratic representatives called on Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ) to resign Friday amid accusations of corruption.

Menendez and his wife, Nadine, were indicted by a grand jury on bribery charges on Friday. The charges revolved around an alleged corrupt relationship with three New Jersey businessmen. Reps. Dean Phillips (D-MN) and Andy Kim (D-NJ) were the first to denounce their colleague and demand he resign. They were quickly joined by a growing chorus of Democratic officials.

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Phillips, in an appearance on CNN, said he “absolutely” agreed that Menendez should be “pushed out” of Congress over the accusations, the first congressional Democrat to do so.

AP

“First of all, everybody’s innocent until proven guilty. Thank goodness, still in our country, but I’m appalled. Anybody who pays attention, I don’t care what your politics, Democrat or Republican, you should be appalled. A member of Congress who appears to have broken the law is someone who I believe should resign,” he said.

“I’m trying to restore faith in government. It’s one of my missions. It’s a lot of my colleagues’ missions. And sometimes we gotta walk that talk, even if it’s uncomfortable, and I would argue that this time, yes, the answer is absolutely,” he continued when asked if Democrats should “push him out” of Congress.

Kim made similar remarks to the New Jersey Globe.

“These allegations are serious and alarming. It doesn’t matter what your job title is or your politics — no one in America is above the law. The people of New Jersey absolutely need to know the truth of what happened, and I hope the judicial system works thoroughly and quickly to bring this truth to light,” Kim said.

“In the meantime, I don’t have confidence that the senator has the ability to properly focus on our state and its people while addressing such a significant legal matter. He should step down,” he added.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) emphasized the importance of due process in a statement Friday.

“Bob Menendez has been a dedicated public and is always fighting hard for the people of New Jersey. He has a right to due process and a fair trial,” the statement read.

New voices soon joined the calls for resignations — former Attorney General Eric Holder joined the fray.

“As both a leader in the Democratic Party & the former Attorney General and given the nature of the charges, I call upon Senator Menendez to resign,” Holder wrote in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter.

“The nation will be better served if he steps aside and allows a transition to occur that will best serve the people of New Jersey.”

Rep. Mikie Sherrill (D-NJ) added herself to the growing list of New Jersey Democrats calling on Menendez to resign.

“These are serious allegations against Senator Menendez and if proven true, there is no room for this kind of conduct in public service,” she wrote in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter.

“Today is a sad day for New Jersey and I believe it’s in the best interest of our state that Senator Menendez resign,” she added.

Rep. Bill Pascrell (D-NJ) also joined the calls for Menendez to resign.

“This is a sad day for our great state,” he said in a statement. “I do not believe that Senator Menendez can continue to carry out the important duties of his office for our state.”

Gov. Phil Murphy (D-NJ) and many leading figures in the New Jersey legislature, including Democratic state Chairman LeRoy Jones, called on Menendez to resign as well.

Menendez, who temporarily stepped down as chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, is also accused of using his position to “benefit the government of Egypt in various ways,” including providing it with secret information.

Menendez has denied the charges and blamed a shadowy cabal trying to tarnish his name.

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“For years, forces behind the scenes have repeatedly attempted to silence my voice and dig my political grave,” he said in a statement. “Since this investigation was leaked nearly a year ago, there has been an active smear campaign of anonymous sources and innuendos to create an air of impropriety where none exists.”

“Those behind this campaign simply cannot accept that a first-generation Latino American from humble beginnings could rise to be a U.S. Senator and serve with honor and distinction,” he continued. “Even worse, they see me as an obstacle in the way of their broader political goals.”