Menendez to address Senate Dems after half call for resignation over bribery charges

Facing louder calls for his resignation, indicted Sen. Bob Menendez will address the Democratic Senate caucus on Thursday.

Earlier Wednesday, the senior senator for New Jersey, pleaded not guilty to corruption charges in federal court. Menendez is accused of accepting bribes in exchange for using his official role as head of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee − a position he has since stepped down from − to benefit the government of Egypt, according to the unsealed indictment.

Half of the Democratic caucus has said the longtime Democratic lawmaker should call it quits.

Several, including many who are seeking reelection in what will be a tough 2024 map for Senate Democrats, said while Menendez deserves the presumption of innocence, the allegations are too heavy to ignore.

"I've read the detailed charges against Senator Menendez and find them deeply disturbing," Sen. Jon Tester, D-Montana, who is running next year, said in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter.

"While he deserves a fair trial like every other American, I believe Senator Menendez should resign for the sake of the public’s faith in the U.S. Senate."

Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Illinois, who is the majority whip, pointed out on Wednesday how New Jersey leaders, including Gov. Phil Murphy, have made it clear that Menendez "can no longer serve."

"He should step down," Durbin added.

Booker breaks silence against Menendez

Of all the Democratic senators who expressed it is time for Menendez to call it quits, none will be given as much political weight as his Garden State colleague, Sen. Cory Booker, who has considered Menendez a friend and mentor.

But by Tuesday, Booker was echoing other Democrats in Washington, saying Menendez "stepping down is best" for both of their shared constituents.

"Stepping down is not an admission of guilt but an acknowledgment that holding public office often demands tremendous sacrifices at great personal cost," Booker said.

"Sen. Menendez has made these sacrifices in the past to serve," he added. "And in this case he must do so again. I believe stepping down is best for those Sen. Menendez has spent his life serving."

This statement marks a stark contrast in how Booker defended Menendez when he was indicted in 2015 on corruption charges, which ended in a mistrial when a jury couldn't determine if gifts received were the result of friendship or bribery.

Which Senate Democrats have called on Menendez to resign?

The cascade, which started Tuesday morning, has brought the number of Democratic senators who've called on Menendez to leave office to 27. That represents more than half of the 48 member Democratic caucus.

• Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pennsylvania

• Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio

• Sen. Tammy Baldwin, D-Wisconsin

• Sen. Cory Booker, D-New Jersey

• Sen. Peter Welch, D-Vermont

• Sen. Jon Tester, D-Montana

• Sen. Bob Casey, D-Pennsylvania

• Sen. Jacky Rosen, D-Nevada

• Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Massachusetts

• Sen. Martin Heinrich, D-New Mexico

• Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minnesota

• Sen. Michael Bennet, D-Colorado

• Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Arizona

• Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-New York

• Sen. Ed Markey, D-Massachusetts

• Sen. Maggie Hassan, D-New Hampshire

• Sen. Raphael Warnock, D-Georgia

• Sen. Mazie Hirono, D-Hawaii

• Sen. Gary Peters, D-Michigan

• Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Connecticut

• Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-Michigan

• Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Connecticut

• Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Illinois

• Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Illinois

• Sen. Patty Murray, D-Washington

• Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Washington

• Sen. Jon Ossoff, D-Georgia

• Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Maryland

In addition, Sen. Bernie Sanders, an independent who caucuses with the Democrats, said Menendez should resign in a post Tuesday evening.

"If he doesn’t," the Vermont lawmaker said, "a Senate Ethics Committee investigation must go forward immediately."

Pennsylvania Democratic Sen. John Fetterman, the first Democratic senator to call for Menendez’s resignation, told reporters Tuesday evening he's glad more of his colleagues have joined him in calling for the New Jersey lawmaker to step down.

“The last time there was a guy in New Jersey with this much cash in his house was Tony Soprano,” Fetterman said.

Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., called the allegations against Menendez “deeply troubling” and thinks the New Jersey lawmaker should resign. Blumenthal plans to disperse contributions Menendez made to his reelection campaign to a charity, he told reporters Tuesday.

Menendez to address Senate Dems, Schumer says

The embattled Menendez will address his fellow Democrats at their caucus meeting tomorrow, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said at a Wednesday press conference.

When pressed if he thinks Menendez should step down, the Democratic leader would not answer, adding "we’ll see what’ll happen” after the New Jersey lawmakers meets with the caucus.

But Schumer said he was "deeply disappointed, disturbed" when he read the 39-page indictment. He called it “truly, truly upsetting.”

“For senators, there’s a much, much higher standard and clearly when you read the indictment, Sen. Menendez fell way below that standard,” Schumer said.

Contributing: Katie Sobko and The Associated Press

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: How many Senate Democrats have called on Bob Menendez to resign?