When New Jersey Democratic Sen. Robert Menendez was busted for alleged bribery — a Mercedes, gold bars, envelopes filled with money — the response from the state’s governor was swift and positive.
“These are severe prices that implicate nationwide safety and the integrity of our prison justice system,” Democrat Phil Murphy mentioned in a written assertion, which included an compulsory nod to each citizen’s innocent-unless-proven-guilty assure.
“The alleged information are so severe that they compromise the flexibility of Sen. Menendez to successfully signify the individuals of our state,” Murphy mentioned. “Subsequently, I’m calling for his quick resignation.”
Different Democrats adopted swimsuit, together with California Rep. Adam B. Schiff.
“The allegations within the indictment of Senator Menendez are stunning,” he wrote on Twitter, er, X. “If correct, they signify essentially the most profound betrayal of his oath of workplace. He’s entitled to the presumption of innocence and may have his day in court docket. However the gravity of the matter calls for his resignation.”
The condemnation from Menendez’s fellow partisans and requires the ouster of the seemingly sticky-fingered senator stand in stark distinction to the see-no-evil response of numerous Republicans who not solely excuse the serial indictments of former President Trump but additionally double-down in help.
“Menendez wants to modify events,” cracked George Conway, the conservative legal professional and co-founder of the Trump tormenting Lincoln Venture. “The opposite social gathering would let him have at the very least two extra indictments.”
In 2015, Menendez was indicted on federal bribery prices involving money and lavish holidays acquired from a Florida eye physician. The case resulted in a mistrial after jurors failed to achieve a verdict and the authorities determined not to retry him.
The newest case, rendered in a 39-page indictment, accuses Menendez and his spouse, Nadine, of accepting a whole lot of 1000’s of {dollars} in bribes to wield his political affect on behalf of the Egyptian authorities and enterprise associates in New Jersey.
Authorities mentioned a search of their residence turned up greater than $480,000 in money stuffed in envelopes and jackets embroidered with Menendez’s title, greater than $100,000 in gold bars and a Mercedes-Benz convertible parked within the couple’s storage.
From a cynical viewpoint, it’s straightforward to see why Democrats be happy to specific outrage and forged apart the senator. They get a free go. Murphy, in any case, would absolutely train his energy as governor and change Menendez with one other Democrat, thus sustaining the social gathering’s management of the chamber.
Eradicating Menendez would additionally remove the potential of placing his seat in play in 2024, when Democrats face a stiff problem conserving their tenuous majority, and scale back the danger of him dragging down Democrats in New Jersey’s legislative contests this fall.
Not that Menendez is budging.
He misplaced his chairmanship of the Senate Overseas Relations Committee, stepping down as required by Democrats’ Senate bylaws. However he made clear Monday at a defiant information convention that he’ll ignore calls to resign, at the same time as he strains credulity to the breaking level.
All that lucre secretly stashed round the home? A type of private insurance coverage, Menendez advised, ensuing from trauma he confronted because the son of Cuban immigrants
The justice system will weigh Menendez’s guilt or innocence. However his social gathering’s friends aren’t ready for that to occur.
“Because of Democrats who’re calling on Menendez to give up,” California’s former Democratic senator, Barbara Boxer, tweeted following his information convention.
“Sorry, it isn’t regular to have closets full of money and BTW, simply a few gold bars hanging round from ‘buddies.’ No one’s indispensable & if we’re to avoid wasting America we higher have individuals who gained’t promote their souls.”
Republicans ought to pay heed and maintain Trump to account.
Mark Z. Barabak is a Los Angeles Occasions columnist.
