Democratic Sen. Bob Menendez of New Jersey was convicted of federal corruption and bribery charges on Tuesday, Fox News reported.
Menendez, who was indicted on Mar. 5, was convicted by a jury over his involvement in a bribery and corruptionÂ
His wife, Nadine Menendez, who was indicted and charged alongside her husband, has since had her trial postponed indefinitely.
Menendez told reporters on Tuesday that he was “deeply disappointed by the jury’s decision” and said he was confident that his legal team would successfully appeal the case.
“I have never been anything but a patriot of my country, and I have never, ever been a foreign agent,” Menendez told reporters.
Though Menendez insists on his innocence, several prominent Democrats have called for his resignation.
“In light of this guilty verdict, Senator Menendez must now do what is right for his constituents, the Senate, and our country, and resign,” Senate Majority leader Chuck Schumer said in a post on X.
His wife, Nadine Menendez, who was indicted and charged alongside her husband, has since had her trial postponed indefinitely.
“I reiterate my call for Senator Menendez to resign immediately after being found guilty of endangering national security and the integrity of our criminal justice system,” New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy said in a statement on X. “If he refuses to vacate his office, I call on the U.S. Senate to vote to expel him. In the event of a vacancy, I will exercise my duty to make a temporary appointment to ensure the people of New Jersey have the representation they deserve.”
Prior to his latest indictment, Menendez had been the focal point of several other indictments and investigations throughout his career.
In 2006, Menendez was under investigation by the then-U.S. Attorney Chris Christie for allegedly helping secure federal grants for a non-profit that was simultaneously paying Menendez about $300,000 of rent over a nine-year period, according to Politico. Prosecutors eventually closed the case in 2011 without pursuing charges.
A year later in 2012, one of Mendez’s campaign donors, Joseph Bigica, pled guilty to making nearly $100,000 in illegal contributions to the second term senator, according to The Star-Ledger. The campaign was not accused of any wrongdoing, and pledged to donate the contributions to charitable organizations.
Menendez had also previously been indicted in 2015 for conspiracy, bribery and honest services fraud after an investigation found that Menendez allegedly accepted $1 million worth of lavish trips, gifts and campaign contributions from Salomon Melgen, a longtime friend and donor, in exchange for visa applications for Melvin’s girlfriends and influence over Medicare billing disputes that were worth approximately $8.9 million. Menendez claimed that they were simply gifts from a personal friend, and the hung jury forced a mistrial, eventually favoring an acquittal in November of 2017.
“The conviction of Sen. Menendez in Washington is monumental. He was one of the untouchables,” George Washington University law professor Jonathan Turley said in a post on X. “Despite long being viewed as corrupt, Menendez wielded power with abandon for his own benefit.”
Despite his legal track record, Menendez opted to stay in the race for his New Jersey senate seat.
On March 21, Menendez announced that he won’t run as a Democrat, and officially filed as an independent candidate on Jun. 3. Menendez is running against Democratic Rep. Andy Kim and Republican candidate Curtis Bashaw.
“This is a sad day for New Jersey, but one that feels all too familiar,” Bashaw said in a press release obtained by the Daily Caller News Foundation. “New Jersey families deserve better than the continued corruption and made-for-tv political scandals, courtesy of Bob Menendez and the Democratic machine.”
“Our public servants should work for the people, and today we saw the people judge Senator Menendez as guilty and unfit to serve,” Kim said in a post on X. “I called on Senator Menendez to step down when these charges were first made public, and now that he has been found guilty, I believe the only course of action for him is to resign his seat immediately.”
“The people of New Jersey deserve better,” Kim added.
Editor’s note: This story has been updated to reflect statements from Sen. Menendez, Sen. Schumer and Gov. Murphy.
(Featured image credit: Screenshot/Menendez)
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