US Senator Robert Menendez (D-NJ) has remained intransigent in the face of growing calls for him to step down from office after being indicted on federal bribery charges.
“He will not resign,” US Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) told reporters on Thursday, following a private lunch between Menendez and Senate Democrats. The New Jersey senator reportedly didn’t say if he intended to seek reelection in 2024.
“I think what we all really have to realize is [that] the rule of law is for all of us. No matter what you may think, no matter what I may think or any of us may think,” Manchin said. “He is going to vigorously defend himself.”
Several other Democratic lawmakers who spoke with US media after the meeting indicated they weren’t swayed by Menendez’s 15-minute speech about his situation, and suggested the majority of people in the room felt the same way.
27 September 2023, 18:22 GMT
Menendez refused to tell the media what he said in the meeting, replying that it was “just for the caucus.”
On Friday, Menendez and his wife, Nadine Arslanian, were indicted on a slew of federal corruption charges for allegedly accepting bribes. Federal investigators seized $480,000 in cash and more than $100,000 in gold bars from their home, along with a Mercedes C300 convertible - all alleged to be part of the bribes. They were arraigned on Tuesday and released on bond, with the court confiscating their passports.
The list of Democrats demanding Menendez’s resignation has grown, including 29 US senators - the majority of the caucus - as well as New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy and other top party leaders in the Garden State, and US Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), the former speaker of the House. Notably, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) has not joined the chorus, saying that Menendez “has a right to due process and a fair trial.”
If Menendez does step down or is removed from office, Murphy will have to appoint someone else to serve the remainder of his term.