This post has been updated.
His position was untenable following his conviction of receiving bribes through gold bars and a luxury car. Arguably, when the indictment against Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ) dropped in September of last year, his career in public life was finished. The New Jersey liberal isn’t going to turn this into a circus by forcing Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) to file a motion for expulsion. Today, it was reported that Mr. Menendez informed his allies that he intended to resign, but later denied that story this evening, telling CBS News, " I can tell you that I have not resigned nor have I spoken to any so-called allies... Seems to me that there is an effort to try to force me into a statement."
NEWS: Sen Bob MENENDEZ is telling allies he intends to RESIGN… one day after being found guilty on federal corruption charges, sources tell @kate_santaliz @carolelee & me @NBCNews.
— Julie Tsirkin (@JulieNBCNews) July 17, 2024
44 Senate Democrats have called on him to resign (or risk getting expelled).
If he remained as defiant as he’d been through this legal ordeal, he was likely to be expelled. Forty-four Democrats have already called on him to leave Washington, with Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) vowing to lead the expulsion push should Menendez remain in his seat (via CBS News):
Demands are growing for Sen. Bob Menendez to resign after being found guilty Tuesday on all 16 counts in his corruption trial.
The charges included bribery, conspiracy, and working as a foreign agent for the governments of Egypt and Qatar.
The 70-year-old Democrat is facing decades behind bars.
All of that has prompted Cory Booker, New Jersey's other U.S. senator, to issue an ultimatum: step down now or be forced out. Booker said in a television interview he'll lead an expulsion of Menendez.
"He must stand up now and leave the Senate, and if he refuses to do that, many of us ... and I will lead that effort to make sure he's removed from the Senate," Booker said.
Menendez was slapped with quite the indictment last year. During a search, federal agents found over $400,000 in cash all over his home, some stuffed in clothing. Gold bars were also discovered, leading to the moniker “gold bar Bob.” Unlike past corruption probes, Menendez was left in the cold, with Senate Democrats turning their backs on him.
UPDATE: Gold bar Bob is staying:
Sen. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) denies report he will resign - CBS
— NewsWire (@NewsWire_US) July 18, 2024
Bob Menendez denies resignation story to CBS News: I can tell you that I have not resigned nor have I spoken to any so-called allies... Seems to me that there is an effort to try to force me into a statement." https://t.co/0m4gCmVo92
— David Wildstein (@wildstein) July 18, 2024
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