Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ) is disputing a report that he intends to resign from Congress on Wednesday after he was convicted of federal corruption charges a day earlier.
Menendez is pushing back against reporting from NBC News and the New York Times, which cited sources who said the New Jersey senator was telling allies he will resign.
“I can tell you that I have not resigned nor have I spoken to any so called allies … Seems to me that there is an effort to try to force me into a statement,” Menendez said Wednesday night, speaking to CBS News. “Anyone who knows me knows that’s the worst way to achieve a goal with me.”
A majority of Senate Democrats have called on him to step aside, including Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) on Tuesday. The pressure intensified on Wednesday after Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) said in a television interview that he’d lead an expulsion of Menendez, and others expressed support on social media.
“For New Jersey, this is a painful day of real heartbreak and frankly just deep disappointment,” Booker said on MSNBC. “If he refuses to do that, many of us — and I will lead that effort to make sure that he is removed from the Senate.”
Menendez, 70, is set to be sentenced on Oct. 29. He was found guilty of all 16 counts. The most serious charges of extortion and wire fraud carry a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. Menendez faces a maximum of 222 years in prison, but it’s likely any sentences would run concurrently.
The government presented a case that found the New Jersey senator and his wife took bribes in exchange for favors for the Egyptian government and allegedly “pressured” a U.S. agricultural official to protect an exclusive contract for a New Jersey businessman to be the exclusive purveyor of halal meat to Egypt. Photos in the indictment showed gold bars and almost half a million dollars of cash stuffed into clothing labeled with the senator’s name.
A day earlier, the senator maintained his innocence while speaking to reporters outside the courthouse following the verdict and said he will appeal the outcome of the case. He made no mention of his plans to resign.
If Menendez steps down, Gov. Phil Murphy (D-NJ) will appoint a senator to finish out Menendez’s term, which ends in January. Rep. Andy Kim (D-NJ) and GOP hopeful Curtis Bashaw are running in the November general election to replace him.
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The senior senator from New Jersey has previously faced corruption charges. A 2015 indictment ultimately ended in a mistrial in 2018 after a jury failed to reach a verdict on all counts. The prior charges were surrounding his relationship with a friend and Democratic donor after there were allegations Menendez used his Senate office to promote the donor’s interests.
Menendez’s and Schumer’s offices did not respond to the Washington Examiner’s request for comment.