Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, Democrat of New York, has called on Senator Bob Menendez, Democrat of New Jersey, to resign after he was convicted of all 16 felony counts in his corruption indictment.
Schumer did not indicate he would seek to deport Menendez, who now faces felony charges after being convicted during a nine-week trial of accepting bribes of cash, gold and luxury cars from three businessmen and acting as a foreign agent for Egypt.
But Menendez, who struggled in the Democratic primary and is running as an independent to keep his seat, is unlikely to resign.
In light of this guilty conviction, Senator Menendez must do the right thing for his constituents, the Senate, and our country and resign.
— Chuck Schumer (@SenSchumer) July 16, 2024
If Menendez makes it clear he intends to continue serving in the Senate, Schumer will undoubtedly face questions about his future actions.
Senate Democrats hold a slim majority, 51 Democrats to 49 Republicans. If Mendez resigns or the Senate expels him, Gov. Phil Murphy (D-N.J.) would certainly appoint a Democrat.
In the event of a tie, Vice President Kamala Harris, a former senator, can cast the deciding vote. As vice president, she has cast more votes than any other sitting vice president.
Menendez resigned as chairman of the powerful Senate Foreign Relations Committee after his indictment and has maintained that his crimes were merely actions he took in his role as chairman and that the gold bars found by federal agents belong to his wife.
Bradley Jay is Capitol Hill correspondent for Breitbart News. Follow him on X/Twitter. translator.
