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.
“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.
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.
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