Sen. Bob Menendez's (D-NJ) trove of cash and gold bars was uncovered when federal agents searched his house, part of an ongoing corruption probe that’s once again ensnared the New Jersey liberal. This incident is far from the first legal bout for Menendez, who faced allegations of impropriety from his relationship with a Florida donor, Salomon Melgen, in 2013. He was formally indicted in 2015 but escaped conviction.
In 2023, the evidence seems much more robust since it was all over his residence. We mentioned the gold bars, along with $480,000 in cash strewn about the place, including being hidden in articles of clothing. Democrats are freaking out, with numerous members of Menendez’s own party calling for the resignation of Gold Bar Bob, including Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY). Of course, Menendez responded by saying that everyone is racist (via CBS News):
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York became the latest Democratic lawmaker to call for the resignation of New Jersey Sen. Robert Menendez after his indictment on federal bribery charges, saying he should step down over the "extremely serious" allegations.
"I think the situation is quite unfortunate, but I do believe that it is in the best interest for Sen. Menendez to resign in this moment," Ocasio-Cortez told "Face the Nation" moderator Margaret Brennan on Sunday. "Consistency matters. It shouldn't matter if it's a Republican or a Democrat. The details in this indictment are extremely serious. They involve the nature of not just his but all of our seats in Congress."
An indictment unsealed on Friday charged Menendez, his wife and three New Jersey business associates with various crimes related to an alleged bribery scheme. Prosecutors said the Menendezes received hundreds of thousands of dollars and lavish luxury gifts in exchange for the senator wielding his influence to benefit the businessmen and the government of Egypt.
Menendez, a Democrat who has served in the Senate since 2006, vigorously defended himself after the indictment was made public, saying the "baseless" charges were part of an "active smear campaign of anonymous sources and innuendos to create an air of impropriety where none exists."
A wave of Democratic lawmakers and New Jersey officials, including Gov. Phil Murphy, soon began calling for Menendez to step aside as the legal process unfolds. Menendez rejected those calls out of hand, saying he is "not going anywhere." He added that it was "not lost on me how quickly some are rushing to judge a Latino and push him out of his seat."
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As a Latina, I am judging. Resign
— Jessika (@jeskanik) September 22, 2023
It's not surprising that Bob isn’t going to leave—he made that clear when news of his indictment broke last week. Today, he makes it official: he’s announcing his formal re-election bid (via NY Post):
Embattled Sen. Bob Menendez of New Jersey is expected to defiantly announce Monday that he will seek re-election — less than a week after being indicted on explosive corruption charges.
The 69-year-old Democrat issued a statement Friday, the day of his Manhattan federal indictment, insisting, “I’m not going anywhere” — despite widespread calls including from top officials in his own party to resign.
Monday’s expected press conference would be his first in-person appearance since he and his wife were charged with taking hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes in the form of gold bars, a Mercedes-Benz convertible, cash and even exercise machines and an air purifier.
Menendez is expected to announce his plans to run for office again in 2024 — even if he needs to run outside the Democratic Party, according to the New Jersey Globe.
Being a New Jersey native, don’t be shocked if Menendez wins another term despite the legal baggage. If he’s convicted, then that’s a whole new story, but as of now, given the state's political leanings, why should he leave?
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