Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer is calling on Sen. Robert Menendez to resign after a jury found the New Jersey Democrat guilty of accepting bribes and other corruption-related charges.
A majority of Senate Democrats called on Menendez to resign last year after he was indicted on the various corruption charges. But Mr. Schumer declined to go that far, saying that despite Menendez’s alleged actions falling below the standards of a senator, the legal process should be allowed to play out.
But with the trial reaching a conclusion Tuesday, Mr. Schumer said it was time to speak up.
“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 New York Democrat said in a statement.
Menendez had already effectively been pushed out of the Democratic Party and is running for election this November as an independent. He faces an uphill climb without the party resources behind him, and his conviction will only complicate his reelection chances.
Rep. Andy Kim, New Jersey Democrat, won the party’s nomination to run for Menendez’s seat in November.
“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,” Mr. Kim said. “The people of New Jersey deserve better.”
The jury found Mr. Menendez guilty on all charges, including bribery, extortion, fraud, obstruction of justice, conspiracy, and acting as an Egyptian foreign agent.
During the nine-week trial leading up to the verdict, prosecutors laid out their case accusing Mr. Mendendez of abusing his power as a senator and chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee to protect allies from criminal investigations and to enrich associates, including his wife.
They alleged he accepted gold bars and cash as bribes from New Jersey businessmen in exchange for taking official actions benefiting Egypt and Qatar.
Menendez’s lawyers argued the gold bars belonged to Nadine Menendez, who also faces charges. Her trial was postponed while she is recovering from breast cancer surgery.
New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy reiterated his call for Menendez to resign and said if he refuses, the Senate should vote to expel him. Such a vote would require a two-thirds majority to be successful.
“In the event of a vacancy, I will exercise my duty to make a temporary appointment to ensure the people of New Jersey have the representation they deserve,” Mr. Murphy said.
Prior to Menendez’s conviction, the only senator calling for him to be expelled was Sen. John Fetterman, Pennsylvania Democrat.
But after Tuesday’s guilty verdict, a few other Democratic senators said Menendez should be expelled if he will not voluntarily resign, including Sens. Bob Casey of Pennsylvania, Sherrod Brown of Ohio, Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin, and Jacky Rosen of Nevada, all of whom are up for reelection this cycle.
Senate leaders are unlikely to consider expulsion unless it is recommended by the Senate Ethics Committee. The panel confirmed for the first time on Tuesday that it had opened an investigation into Menendez after his indictment last year.
“Now that Senator Menendez’s trial has concluded, the Committee will complete its investigation promptly. The Committee will consider the full range of disciplinary actions available under the Rules of Procedure,” Sens. Christopher A. Coons and James Lankford, leaders of the bipartisan panel, said in a statement.
The Senate has not expelled a member since the Civil War, and 14 of the chamber’s 15 expulsions were of lawmakers who supported the Confederacy.
The Senate Ethics Committee has not issued an expulsion recommendation since 1995 when it found Sen. Robert W. Packwood abused his power by engaging in sexual misconduct and seeking financial favors. Packwood resigned after the committee issued its recommendation.
If Menendez were to stay in the Senate he would still lose much of his influence. The indictment already had required him to give up his post as chair of the Foreign Relations Committee on an interim basis. Now that he is convicted, Senate Democratic Caucus rules call for him to be stripped of the gavel permanently.
Sen. Benjamin L. Cardin, Maryland Democrat, has been serving as the acting Foreign Relations chair and is expected to take over through the end of the Congress, when he is retiring. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, New Hampshire Democrat, is next in line in seniority to serve as the panel’s top Democrat.
• Lindsey McPherson can be reached at lmcpherson@washingtontimes.com.
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