Menendez rejects calls to resign after indictment, claims he will be ‘exonerated’

Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ) spoke out publicly for the first time on Monday following his indictment on federal bribery charges last week, rejecting growing pressure from fellow Democrats to resign, claiming they have “rushed to judgment.”

“Throughout this whole process, I firmly believe after all the facts are presented, not only will I be exonerated, but I will still be New Jersey’s senior senator,” Menendez said, speaking from Hudson County Community College in Union City, New Jersey, the city where he grew up and got his political start.

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“To those who have rushed to judgment, you have done so based on a limited set of facts framed by the prosecution to be as salacious as possible,” Menendez added. “Remember, prosecutors get it wrong sometimes.”

Menendez and his wife, Nadine, were accused of taking bribes of gold bars, cash, and a luxury car in exchange for aiding the government of Egypt and businessmen in New Jersey on Friday, according to a copy of the indictment. Investigators found $550,000 in cash and 13 bars of gold during a search of his home in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, and a safety deposit box last year. Prosecutors also claim the senator and his wife 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.

The veteran lawmaker has denied the charges, calling them “baseless” and denouncing them as a “smear campaign.” He has previously said he is being targeted because he is a prominent Latino.

There is growing pressure for the senator to resign following the indictment. Many prominent New Jersey Democrats have called on the 69-year-old senator to resign, including Gov. Phil Murphy (D-NJ), members of the state legislature, and the majority of the state’s Democratic congressional delegation. So far, only one Democratic senator has called on Menendez to resign, Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA).

Rep. Andy Kim (D-NJ) announced Saturday he intends to challenge Menendez in a primary for his seat. In a statement on X, formerly known as Twitter, Kim said he felt the need to run against the senator in the wake of the indictment.

“Not something I expected to do, but NJ deserves better,” Kim wrote in the post. “We cannot jeopardize the Senate or compromise our integrity.” Menendez has one other declared opponent in the Democratic primary: real estate lender Kyle Jasey.

The senior senator from New Jersey has previously faced corruption charges. A 2015 indictment 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.

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Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) confirmed Friday that Menendez will be temporarily stepping down as chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Rules in the Senate Democratic caucus require Menendez to step down. Sen. Ben Cardin (D-MD) is expected to replace the chairman, which he also did between 2015 and 2018 when Menendez faced federal charges and his trial.

“Sen. Menendez has rightly decided to step down temporarily from his position as Chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee until the matter has been resolved,” Schumer said in a statement released Friday afternoon.