Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer Urges Sen. Menendez To Resign Following Conviction

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-New York) called on Sen. Bob Menendez (D-New Jersey) to resign, shortly after a New York jury found him guilty on all 16 counts of bribery, extortion and honest services wire fraud.

“In light of this guilty verdict, Sen. Menendez must now do what is right for his constituents, the Senate, and our country, and resign,” said Schumer in a brief statement.

The majority leader did not threaten to introduce an expulsion resolution to the Senate floor, which would likely pass by an overwhelming majority given the seriousness of Menendez’s crimes.

Earlier this year, Schumer chose not to urge Menendez to resign, even though over half of the Senate Democratic Conference had requested him to do so after federal prosecutors accused Menendez of accepting hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash, gold bars and other gifts. 

Before the indictment, Menendez chaired the influential Senate Foreign Relations Committee, where he had significant control over U.S. aid and foreign governments.

In September, the senior senator voluntarily stepped down as committee chair following the announcement of the charges by prosecutors.

In March, Schumer told reporters, “The Senate has certain standards that we must live up to. I am very disappointed that Sen. Menendez has not lived up to those standards.”

Over the past few months, Schumer has consistently echoed those concerns when questioned about Menendez’s ongoing attendance at classified briefings and private caucus meetings.

A majority of the Senate Democratic Caucus, including leaders like Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-Illinois) and Caucus Chair Debbie Stabenow (D-Michigan), have already called for Menendez to step down.

Sen. Gary Peters (D-Michigan) who leads the Democrats’ campaign arm, has additionally urged Menendez to step down.

Several New Jersey lawmakers, including Sen. Cory Booker (D-New Jersey) and Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy, have also called for Menendez to resign.

Today’s verdict “demonstrates that the Senator broke the law, violated the trust of his constituents, and betrayed his oath of office,” said Murphy, reiterating his call for Menendez to resign.

Similarly, Booker stated on Tuesday: “Representing people in Congress demands the public’s trust. When any elected official violates that trust, it is a betrayal of the oath we take to serve the people who’ve elected us.”

Rep. Andy Kim (D-New Jersey), the Democratic Senate nominee for New Jersey, has also joined Schumer in calling for Menendez to resign immediately.

“This is a sad and somber day for New Jersey and our country,” Kim said in a statement. “Our public servants should work for the people, and today we saw the people judge Senator Menendez as guilty and unfit to serve.”

“I called on Sen. 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,” he added.

Despite these calls, there is little indication that Menendez will comply, as he has remained defiant throughout the trial. 

Outside the courthouse on Tuesday, he told reporters he was “deeply, deeply disappointed by the jury’s decision” but expressed confidence that “we will be successful upon appeal.”

Menendez’s sentencing is scheduled for Oct. 29 and he faces decades in prison.