Democratic Senator Robert Menendez was found guilty of 16 felonies on Tuesday, capping off a political career spanning four decades and ending with a conviction that will most likely land him in prison for years. After the charges were filed, Menendez stepped down from his long standing position as chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, although he refused to resign from Congress.
The New Jersey Senator has remained defiant, refusing to step down. He has filed as an independent for the current election cycle, although he is surely going to lose. Numerous Democrats have called for him to step down prior to his conviction. In the past few hours that drumbeat has gotten even louder.
Menendez was found guilty of all 16 counts, including bribery, extortion, acting as a foreign agent, obstruction of justice and several counts of conspiracy. His wife has also been charged, although her trial has been delayed following a breast cancer diagnosis. The jury only deliberated for 12 hours, which is pretty short considering the complexity of the case and the numerous charges.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer called on Menendez to resign, saying: “In light of this guilty verdict, Senator Menendez must now do what is right for his constituents, the Senate, and our country, and resign."
The charges covered a variety of offenses. One of them included businessmen paying bribes to Menendez and his wife in exchange for them taking favorable actions while in his role in the Senate to benefit Qatar and Egypt. Those bribes include the infamous gold bars, a Mercedes and almost $500k in cash. That money was found hidden all around the Menendez's home.
The Democratic nominee for Menendez's seat is Rep. Andy Kim. After the guilty verdict came down, Kim stated that it was "a sad and somber day for New Jersey and our country. I called on Senator Menendez to step down when these charges were first made public, and now that he has been found guilty, I believe the only course of action for him is to resign his seat immediately. The people of New Jersey deserve better."
The Governor of New Jersey put out a statement:
Senator Cory Booker put out a statement:
The Biden DOJ sure is weaponized against (checks notes) Democrats?
Resign, Bob. It's time to go...to prison.
