Rep. Dean Phillips, D-Minn, said Friday that Sen. Bob Menendez, D-N.J., should resign after being indicted on federal corruption charges.
"I'm appalled," he said in a CNN interview. "And, yes, I think he should resign."
Phillips was the first Democratic legislator to urge Menendez's resignation after his indictment by federal prosecutors in New York.
Menendez refuted the accusations leveled against him and claimed he faces prosecution from individuals who "simply cannot accept that a first-generation Latino-American from modest origins could ascend to the position of a U.S. senator and carry out his duties with integrity and excellence."
The charges against the New Jersey senator involve alleged acceptance of bribes, notably consisting of $100,000 in gold bars and $480,000 in cash, in return for performing official actions that benefited an Egyptian American entrepreneur, reported The New York Times.
The indictment, filed in the Southern District of New York, contends that Menendez and his wife, Nadine Menendez, "agreed to and did accept hundreds of thousands of dollars' worth of bribes from" Wael Hana, Jose Uribe, and Fred Daibes.
The indictment states: "In exchange ... Menendez agreed to use his power and influence as a senator to seek to protect Hana, Uribe, and Daibes' interests and to benefit the government of Egypt. Through this corrupt relationship, Menendez agreed to take a series of official acts and breaches of his official duty."
Phillips said that while everyone is innocent until proven guilty, objective evidence suggests Menendez broke the law. Asked if he thinks Senate Democratic leaders should pressure Menendez to leave office, Phillips said he believes restoring faith in government is essential.
"Yes," he said. "The answer is: absolutely."
Further demands for Menendez's resignation emerged from Democrats later Friday.
Former Attorney General Eric Holder, who held office during the Obama administration, said Menendez should promptly vacate his position.
"As both a leader in the Democratic Party & the former Attorney General and given the nature of the charges, I call upon Senator Menendez to resign," Holder posted on X. "The nation will be better served if he steps aside and allows a transition to occur that will best serve the people of New Jersey."
Rep. Andy Kim, D-N.J., joined the chorus of voices calling for Menendez's departure from office.
"I don't have confidence that the senator has the ability to properly focus on our state and its people while addressing such a significant legal matter," Kim told the New Jersey Globe. "He should step down."
The charges are not Menendez's first encounter with the law. In 2015, he was indicted in New Jersey on bribery charges. Following a November 2017 mistrial after the jury couldn't render a verdict, a judge acquitted him of several charges. The Justice Department dismissed the remaining charges.
Jim Thomas ✉
Jim Thomas is a writer based in Indiana. He holds a bachelor's degree in Political Science, a law degree from U.I.C. Law School, and has practiced law for more than 20 years.
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