Durbin becomes highest-ranking Senate Democrat to call for Menendez to resign

Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), the chamber’s second-highest-ranking Democrat, called for Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ) to resign on Wednesday in connection to charges of taking bribes in exchange for political favors.

Durbin is the highest-ranking Senate Democrat to join a swell of over two dozen Democrats to call on Menendez to step down over his latest indictment in which the New Jersey senator and his wife were accused of accepting bribes, gold bars, and other luxury gifts from three businessmen.

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“Leaders in New Jersey, including the governor and my Senate colleague Cory Booker, have made it clear that Sen. Menendez can no longer serve,” Durbin posted on X, formerly known as Twitter. “He should step down.”

Durbin’s remarks follow comments the lead Democrat made this weekend, in which he refused to say whether Menendez, who is facing his second indictment in 10 years, should step down from his Senate role and run for reelection in 2024.

“In terms of resignation, that’s a decision to be made by Sen. Menendez and the people of New Jersey,” Durbin said on CNN’s State of the Union on Sunday.

He called the charges brought against Menendez last week as equally as serious as the charges brought against former President Donald Trump, noting they need to be “proven under the rule of law” and the embattled senator is “entitled to the presumption of innocence, and it’s the responsibility of the government to prove that case.”

“I said that about Donald Trump, I’ll say the same thing about Bob Menendez,” Durbin said.

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Menendez, who pleaded not guilty on Wednesday in federal court in New York over bribery allegations, said this week he would not step down from his position despite the growing push from Congress members to resign. His wife, Nadine Arslanian Menendez, and the three New Jersey businessmen included in the indictment — Jose Uribe, Fred Daibes, and Wael Hana — all pleaded not guilty as well.

“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,” Menendez said at Hudson County Community College in Union City during his Monday press conference.