Democrats are discussing how to handle their response if Sen. Bob Menendez, D-N.J., is found guilty in a bribery case, according to Politico.
Democrats will not hurry to push Menendez out of office, even if a Democrat becomes the governor of New Jersey, several Democratic senators and aides said.
The Justice Department indicted Menendez in April 2015, accusing him of taking official actions on behalf of Dr. Salomon Melgen, a Florida ophthalmologist, in exchange for hotel rooms, jet flights, and political contributions of around $750,000, Politico reported.
Menendez refused to say whether he would resign in case of a conviction. Republicans are expected to quickly attempt to expel him, which would give Republican Gov. Chris Christie an opportunity to appoint a Republican replacement for Menendez.
To expel a member, Republicans would need a two-thirds majority, which means they would need Democrats to join in, Politico reported.
Several Democratic senators and aides said they were feeling no political pressure to remove Menendez.
"I don't know if we'd be in a hurry to get rid of Bob," one Senate Democrat told Politico.
Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., said he believes Menendez is not guilty. "The reality is I believe he's going to be vindicated. He's got a very great case," Booker said, according to Politico.
Closing arguments in the case are Monday. Prosecutors want the jury to "assume, fill in the gap, guess and speculate about what happened," but offered no evidence, his attorney told jurors Monday, according to ABC News.
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