New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy and several congressional Democrats have called for the Democratic senator's resignation after his indictment was unsealed.
Sen. Bob Menendez, D-N.J., on Friday rejected calls for him to resign from Congress, saying he plans to fight charges that include allegations of bribery and corruption.
The senator’s statement comes in response to a growing number of Democrats in New Jersey and on Capitol Hill calling for him to step down after a federal indictment against him and his wife was unsealed Friday morning.
“Under our legal system, Senator Menendez and the other defendants have not been found guilty and will have the ability to present evidence disputing these charges, and we must respect the process," Murphy said in a statement.
Rep. Andy Kim, D-N.J., also called on Menendez to step down, saying he lacked "confidence that the Senator has the ability to properly focus on our state and its people while addressing such a significant legal matter.”
In exchange, the couple received lavish bribes, including “cash, gold bars, payments toward a home mortgage, compensation for a low-or-no-show job, a luxury vehicle and other items of value,” prosecutors said.
Menendez dismissed the allegations against him in a statement Friday, arguing that he is facing “an active smear campaign of anonymous sources and innuendos to create an air of impropriety where none exists” and suggesting that prosecutors have “misrepresented the normal work of a Congressional office.”
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Sen. Bob Menendez, D-N.J., on Friday rejected calls for him to resign from Congress, saying he plans to fight charges that include allegations of bribery and corruption.
The senator’s statement comes in response to a growing number of Democrats in New Jersey and on Capitol Hill calling for him to step down after a federal indictment against him and his wife was unsealed Friday morning.
“Under our legal system, Senator Menendez and the other defendants have not been found guilty and will have the ability to present evidence disputing these charges, and we must respect the process," Murphy said in a statement.
Rep. Andy Kim, D-N.J., also called on Menendez to step down, saying he lacked "confidence that the Senator has the ability to properly focus on our state and its people while addressing such a significant legal matter.”
In exchange, the couple received lavish bribes, including “cash, gold bars, payments toward a home mortgage, compensation for a low-or-no-show job, a luxury vehicle and other items of value,” prosecutors said.
Menendez dismissed the allegations against him in a statement Friday, arguing that he is facing “an active smear campaign of anonymous sources and innuendos to create an air of impropriety where none exists” and suggesting that prosecutors have “misrepresented the normal work of a Congressional office.”
The original article contains 701 words, the summary contains 216 words. Saved 69%. I’m a bot and I’m open source!