Senate Democrats tell Menendez to 'resign or face expulsion' after guilty verdict
More Democrats are calling on Sen. Bob Menendez to resign after he was found guilty, with some saying the Senat should expel him.
WASHINGTON — Democrats are turning up the heat on Sen. Bob Menendez, D-N.J., as more senators call on him to resign, with some threatening to expel him after he was found guilty Tuesday on 16 federal counts, including bribery and acting as a foreign agent.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., who had previously chastised Menendez, joined the calls for the New Jersey Democrat to step down.
“In light of this guilty verdict, Senator Menendez must now do what is right for his constituents, the Senate, and our country, and resign,” Schumer said in a brief statement.
But other Senate Democrats, including two facing re-election in November, went beyond simply calling on him to quit and endorsed expulsion if he refuses to resign immediately; Senate rules do not require members to step down because of felony convictions.
“As I said when he was charged, public service is a sacred trust and Senator Menendez has broken that trust,” Sen. Bob Casey, D-Pa., said on X. “Now that a jury of his peers has found him guilty on all 16 charges, including acting as a foreign agent, Senator Menendez should resign or face expulsion from the Senate.”
Rating: 5