Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ) said he’s “not going anywhere” as a growing number of his colleagues call on him to resign amid controversy.
The New Jersey Democrat and his wife, Nadine, were indicted by a grand jury on bribery charges Friday. The charges revolved around an alleged corrupt relationship with three New Jersey businessmen. A growing number of Democratic officials have called on him to resign, but a response from Menendez signaled that he has no plans of doing so.
ROBERT MENENDEZ INDICTED: DEMOCRATIC NEW JERSEY SENATOR FACES FEDERAL CHARGES OF BRIBERY
“Those who believe in justice believe in innocence until proven guilty. I intend to continue to fight for the people of New Jersey with the same success I’ve had for the past five decades,” he said in a statement.
“This is the same record of success these very same leaders have lauded all along. It is not lost on me how quickly some are rushing to judge a Latino and push him out of his seat. I am not going anywhere,” he added.
NEW: Sen Menendez responds to calls for his resignation w/ new stmt: “It is not lost on me how quickly some are rushing to judge a Latino and push him out of his seat. I am not going anywhere.”
Full statement is here: pic.twitter.com/qkVTXhwoAw
— Frank Thorp V (@frankthorp) September 22, 2023
Democrats from New Jersey have led the charge in demanding Menendez’s resignation, including Gov. Phil Murphy (D-NJ), Rep. Andy Kim (D-NJ), Rep. Mikie Sherrill (D-NJ), Rep. Bill Pascrell (D-NJ), and Democratic state Chairman LeRoy Jones. Rep. Dean Phillips (D-MN) and former Attorney General Eric Holder have called on him to resign as well.
Though he is refusing to resign, Menendez did agree to temporarily step down as chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. He is also accused in his indictment of using his position as chairman to “benefit the government of Egypt in various ways,” including providing it with secret information.
Menendez has denied the charges and blamed a shadowy cabal trying to tarnish his name. As with his statement refusing to resign, his initial statement alluded to racism against him as a Hispanic as the reasoning behind the indictment.
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“For years, forces behind the scenes have repeatedly attempted to silence my voice and dig my political grave,” he said in a statement. “Since this investigation was leaked nearly a year ago, there has been an active smear campaign of anonymous sources and innuendos to create an air of impropriety where none exists.”
“Those behind this campaign simply cannot accept that a first-generation Latino American from humble beginnings could rise to be a U.S. Senator and serve with honor and distinction,” he continued. “Even worse, they see me as an obstacle in the way of their broader political goals.”
