{"id":2042306,"date":"2023-09-23T07:07:01","date_gmt":"2023-09-23T11:07:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/democrats-turn-on-menendez-after-latest-indictment-straw-that-broke-the-camels-back\/"},"modified":"2023-09-23T07:10:35","modified_gmt":"2023-09-23T11:10:35","slug":"democrats-turn-on-menendez-after-latest-indictment-straw-that-broke-the-camels-back","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/democrats-turn-on-menendez-after-latest-indictment-straw-that-broke-the-camels-back\/","title":{"rendered":"Democrats abandon Menendez following new indictment: Final straw"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">16<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fdemocrats-turn-on-menendez-after-latest-indictment-straw-that-broke-the-camels-back%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2042306&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><h2>Democrats Call for Resignation of Senator Menendez Amid Bribery Indictment<\/h2>\n<p>Democrats are beginning to speak out after Sen. Bob Menendez \u2064(D-NJ) and his wife were\u2064 accused of taking bribes \u200dof gold bars, cash, and\u200d a luxury car\u2064 to help the government\u2062 of Egypt and businessmen in New \u2064Jersey in a new indictment, with some even calling on the senator to resign his seat.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<h3>Gov. Phillip Murphy (D-NJ) Calls for\u2064 Resignation<\/h3>\n<p>Gov.\u200b Phillip Murphy (D-NJ), a close Democratic ally, called on Menendez to \u200bresign on Friday, the\u200d first signal that the floodgates could begin to open, a\u2064 significantly different tone from Menendez\u2019s prior \u2062legal problems in \u200dwhich Democrats stood by the New Jersey senator.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>After Menendez\u2019s \u2063April 2015 \u200bindictment, the senator had the support of \u200cthe majority of the state party. His \u200dcampaign \u2063website featured an \u201cI stand with Bob\u201d\u2064 logo while Democratic lawmakers defended \u200bhim, specifically Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ). But the tone appears to have shifted.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<h3>Growing Calls for Resignation<\/h3>\n<p>Earlier in the day on Friday, Reps. Dean Phillips (D-MN), Mikie Sherrill \u200c(D-NJ), Andy Kim (D-NJ), State Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin, and\u200c state \u200cDemocratic Party Chairman Leroy\u2063 Jones spoke out, calling on Menendez\u200d to resign, a sign that New Jersey Democrats may be signaling growing trouble for the senator who is up for reelection next year.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>The tide appears to\u2062 be turning for national Democrats \u200cas well. Former Attorney General Eric Holder, who has remained a major figure\u2064 in the party, called for the senator to\u200d step down from \u2064his position.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<h3>Former \u200dAttorney General Calls\u200d for Resignation<\/h3>\n<p>\u201cAs both a leader in the Democratic Party &#038; the former Attorney General and given the nature of the charges, I call upon Senator Menendez to resign,\u201d Holder said \u200con X, formerly Twitter. \u201cThe nation will be better served if he steps aside and allows a transition to occur that will best\u200c serve\u2063 the people of New Jersey.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>The \u200dnew indictment alleges the New Jersey senator \u2063and his wife took bribes in exchange \u2064for favors for the Egyptian government and allegedly \u201cpressured\u201d a \u200dU.S. agricultural \u200dofficial to protect an exclusive contract for a New Jersey businessman to be the exclusive purveyor of halal meat to Egypt. Photos in the indictment showed gold bars and almost half a million dollars of cash \u200dstuffed into clothing labeled with the senator\u2019s name.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<h3>Significant \u2063Allegations<\/h3>\n<p>\u201cI personally think\u2063 this \u2062is the straw that broke the camel\u2019s back, and it\u2019s \u200conly a matter of time before Menendez\u200c is going to need to resign,\u201d said a Democratic strategist in \u2064Washington, speaking on the condition of anonymity in an effort to reflect candidly on the situation. \u201cThis is \u200csignificantly\u2062 more damning and easier to understand than the 2015\u200b indictment.&#8221;<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>The\u200d senior\u200b senator from New Jersey has previously faced corruption charges. A 2015 indictment ultimately ended in a mistrial in 2018 after a\u200b jury failed to reach a\u200b verdict on\u2062 all counts. The prior charges were surrounding his relationship with a \u2064friend and \u2063Democratic donor,\u200d after there were allegations Menendez used his\u200c Senate office to\u200d promote the donor\u2019s interests.<\/p>\n<p>Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) confirmed \u200bFriday that Menendez will be stepping down as\u2062 chairman of the\u2063 Senate Foreign\u2063 Relations \u2064Committee. Rules in the Senate\u200d Democratic caucus require\u2063 Menendez to step down. Sen Ben Cardin (D-MD) is expected to replace the chairman, which \u2063also did between 2015 and 2018 when Menendez faced federal charges and his trial.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<h3>Temporary Step Down from Committee<\/h3>\n<p>\u201cSen. Menendez has rightly decided to step down temporarily from his\u2063 position as Chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee until the matter \u2062has \u2064been resolved,\u201d Schumer said \u200din\u200b a statement released Friday afternoon.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Previously, Menendez stepped down from his perch on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in 2015 when he was facing the prior indictment. Schumer defended Menendez after the\u2064 latest indictment on Friday, emphasizing he \u200dshould be treated with the presumption of innocence.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBob Menendez has been \u2062a dedicated public servant \u200band is always fighting hard\u2063 for the people of New Jersey,&#8221; he said. &#8220;He has a right to due process and a fair trial.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Schumer could ultimately ask the senator to leave the committee altogether after the indictment charges Menendez with using his \u200brole as the chairman\u200b of the powerful panel \u2064to\u200c benefit \u200dhimself personally. It is unclear what the Senate \u2062majority leader intends to do next.<\/p>\n<p>The indictment comes as the New \u2062Jersey senator faces reelection in 2024. Democratic leaders say the latest developments make them fear the New Jersey seat could flip to a Republican\u2063 for \u2062the first time since 1972 in what should be a safe Democratic seat.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<h3>Concerns for Democratic Majority<\/h3>\n<p>\u201cOur majority is on the line right now, and unfortunately, the senator is just\u2063 a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/nascar-driver-who-inspired-lets-go-brandon-says-now-extremely-difficult-to-get-sponsorships\/\" title=\"NASCAR Driver Who Inspired \u2018Let\u2019s Go Brandon\u2019 Says Now \u2018Extremely Difficult\u2019 To Get Sponsorships\">ticking time bomb<\/a>,\u201d said \u2062a Democratic Senate aide, speaking \u200con the condition of anonymity. \u201cMany of \u2062us knew there\u200b were feds investigating the senator, but I don\u2019t think\u2063 anyone could have\u200d anticipated\u200b things would be as serious as they are right now.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>According to the Senate Historical Office, this is the first time in U.S. history that \u200da sitting senator has been indicted twice in\u2064 two cases that are not related.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/democrats-call-for-resignation-of-senator-menendez-amid-bribery-indictment\">CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER<\/a><\/p>\n<p> <\/p>\n<h2> What potential damage could \u200bSenator Menendez&#8217;s alleged involvement in securing exclusive contracts have on his reputation and trustworthiness as\u2064 a public servant?<\/h2>\n<p><span>  Ed to step down as chairman pending the resolution of this matter,\u201d Schumer said in a statement. \u201cWe are confident in the ability of\u200d Sen. Cardin to\u200d step in and lead on Foreign Relations during this time.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>The resignation\u2064 calls from fellow Democrats come as Menendez faces a tough re-election battle next year. While\u2064 the \u200dsenator had been seen as a solid favorite \u2063for\u2063 re-election, the bribery indictment could pose serious challenges to his campaign.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<h3>Tough\u2063 Re-Election Battle<\/h3>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s going to be incredibly difficult for Menendez to win re-election in light of these new allegations,\u201d said a New Jersey political analyst. \u201cThe \u200bsenator was\u2063 already vulnerable due to \u200chis <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/us-senator-indicted-on-bribery-charges-prosecutors\/\" title=\"US Senator charged with bribery: Prosecutors\">previous corruption charges<\/a>, and now with this new\u2063 indictment, it\u2019s\u200c going to be\u200b an uphill battle for him.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>The indictment also \u2064places additional scrutiny on Menendez\u2019s relationship with the Egyptian government and the\u200c New Jersey businessman \u200cmentioned in the charges. The senator\u2019s alleged involvement in using his position to secure exclusive contracts could damage his reputation\u200c and trust among voters.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<h3>Reputation at Stake<\/h3>\n<p>\u201cThis new indictment really calls \u2062into question Menendez\u2019s integrity and trustworthiness as\u200c a public servant,\u201d said a political commentator. \u201cIf the allegations are true, it\u2019s a severe breach of the public\u2019s trust, and it\u2019s \u200bgoing to have a significant impact on his political career.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>It remains to be seen \u2064whether Menendez will heed the calls for his resignation or fight the charges \u200din court. The senator\u2019s \u2063legal team has stated that he plans to vigorously defend himself against the allegations.<\/p>\n<p>As the case unfolds, Democrats will have to consider \u200dthe potential impact on their party \u200dand its future. The calls for Menendez\u2019s resignation highlight the challenges they face in maintaining a clean and credible image, particularly in the midst of a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/democrats-turn-on-menendez-after-latest-indictment-straw-that-broke-the-camels-back\/\" title=\"Democrats abandon Menendez following new indictment: Final straw\">highly contentious election season<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Democrats are urging Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ) to step down following allegations of accepting bribes, including gold bars, cash, and a luxury car, to assist Egypt&#8217;s government and local businessmen. Calls for his resignation are growing, with some demanding that Menendez vacate his seat. Gov. Phillip.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2042307,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[538],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2042306","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-washington-examiner"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2042306","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2042306"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2042306\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2042307"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2042306"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2042306"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2042306"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}