{"id":2045234,"date":"2023-09-26T14:13:02","date_gmt":"2023-09-26T18:13:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/rep-santos-says-sen-menendez-innocent-until-proven-guilty-as-democrat-senator-faces-bribery-charges\/"},"modified":"2023-09-26T14:16:17","modified_gmt":"2023-09-26T18:16:17","slug":"rep-santos-says-sen-menendez-innocent-until-proven-guilty-as-democrat-senator-faces-bribery-charges","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/rep-santos-says-sen-menendez-innocent-until-proven-guilty-as-democrat-senator-faces-bribery-charges\/","title":{"rendered":"Rep. Santos supports Sen. Menendez, believes in his innocence amidst bribery charges."},"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\">24<\/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%2Frep-santos-says-sen-menendez-innocent-until-proven-guilty-as-democrat-senator-faces-bribery-charges%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=2045234&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--><blockquote>\n<h2>Republican Congressman Defends\u2062 Democrat Senator Facing Bribery Charges<\/h2>\n<p>Rep. George Santos (R-N.Y.) has spoken\u2062 out in \u200ddefense\u2063 of \u200bSen. Bob\u2064 Menendez (D-N.J.), insisting the senator \u200bwho was recently\u2063 charged with \u2063bribery should not \u2064feel compelled to resign unless he is found guilty in \u200ca court of law.<\/p>\n<div class=\"my-5\">\n<p>Mr. Menendez\u2063 and his wife, Nadine \u200dMenendez, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/us\/us-senator-indicted-on-bribery-charges-prosecutors-5496691\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">were charged<\/a> last\u200d week with accepting bribes from three New \u200bJersey businessmen in \u2063exchange for using their\u200c position to\u2063 protect these\u200d three businessmen and benefit the government of Egypt. Since being charged, Mr.\u2064 Menendez has <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/us\/menendez-steps-down-from-senate-foreign-relations-committee-refuses-to-resign-amid-bribery-charges-5497091\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">relinquished his chairmanship<\/a> in the Senate \u2062Foreign Affairs \u200cCommittee but\u2062 he has refused \u200dto\u200d resign his senate seat.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Mr. Santos reached across the aisle to defend the Democrat senator, saying it&#8217;s important that Mr. \u2064Menendez is allowed due process and \u2063the \u2062ability to defend himself from\u2062 the \u200ballegations.<\/p>\n<div class=\"shortcode\">\n<div class=\"border-comp-divider mb-4 mr-4 w-full max-w-[500px] border px-5 py-4 text-[16px] leading-[20px] text-[#262626] md:float-left\" id=\"in_article_related_stories\">\n<h2 class=\"mb-3 font-sans text-[16px] font-semibold uppercase leading-[19px] text-[#2F2F2F]\">Related Stories<\/h2>\n<div class=\"mb-4 flex gap-2\">\n<div class=\"grow\">\n<div class=\"mb-1 line-clamp-2\">\n            <a href=\"http:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/us\/menendez-says-money-from-home-seized-by-fbi-was-personal-savings-5497946?ea_src=author_manual&#038;ea_med=related_stories\"><\/p>\n<h3>Sen.\u2064 Menendez \u2064Says Money \u2062From Home Seized by FBI Was Personal Savings<\/h3>\n<p>            <\/a>\n          <\/div>\n<div class=\"text-comp-caption text-[14px] leading-[18px]\">9\/25\/2023<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"shrink-0 basis-[120px]\">\n          <a href=\"http:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/us\/menendez-says-money-from-home-seized-by-fbi-was-personal-savings-5497946?ea_src=author_manual&#038;ea_med=related_stories\"><\/a>\n        <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"mb-4 flex gap-2\">\n<div class=\"grow\">\n<div class=\"mb-1 line-clamp-2\">\n            <a href=\"http:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/us\/top-ranking-democrat-wont-call-for-menendez-to-resign-amid-bribery-charges-5497907?ea_src=author_manual&#038;ea_med=related_stories\"><\/p>\n<h3>Top \u200dRanking Democrat Won\u2019t Call \u2064for \u2063Menendez to Resign Amid Bribery \u200cCharges<\/h3>\n<p>            <\/a>\n          <\/div>\n<div class=\"text-comp-caption text-[14px] leading-[18px]\">9\/25\/2023<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"shrink-0 basis-[120px]\">\n          <a href=\"http:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/us\/top-ranking-democrat-wont-call-for-menendez-to-resign-amid-bribery-charges-5497907?ea_src=author_manual&#038;ea_med=related_stories\"><\/a>\n        <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>&#8220;He\u2019s innocent until\u200c proven guilty,&#8221; Mr. Santos added. &#8220;This\u2014the media has to stop\u2063 acting like \u2062everybody is \u2063guilty before they are\u2062 even judged at \u200bby a jury. So no, I think everybody is innocent until\u2063 proven guilty. When did we walk \u200daway from \u2064the fabric of our Constitution \u200dthat everybody has\u200c a presumption of innocence?&#8221;<\/p>\n<div class=\"my-5\">\n<p>Mr. \u200cSantos shared a <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/MrSantosNY\/status\/1706061967260000294?s=20\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">post<\/a> on X, the social media \u2062app formerly known \u200das Twitter, reiterating that he believes the government has\u200b the burden of proving its case.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>&#8220;I don\u2019t care if you \u200dare a Rep or Dem we are all afforded the same constitutional rights!&#8221;\u200c Mr.\u200b Santos wrote.<\/p>\n<div class=\"post-figure\">\n<figure style=\"width:600px\" class=\"alignnone\"><figcaption>Rep. George Santos (R-N.Y.) looks \u2064on as the U.S. House of \u2064Representatives \u200cconvenes for the 118th Congress\u200b at the U.S. Capitol in Washington \u2062on \u2063Jan. 3, 2023. (Mandel \u2062Ngan\/AFP via \u200cGetty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"my-5\">\n<p>Mr. Menendez was \u200cpreviously charged in a federal corruption case in \u200c2015. The \u2062New Jersey Senate Democrat was accused of taking nearly $1 million in gifts and\u200d campaign contributions from \u200da doctor in exchange for \u200btaking actions that benefitted the doctor, such \u2062as helping to advance a visa \u2062application for the doctor&#8217;s girlfriend. After \u2063a 2018 trial, \u200da jury\u2063 was unable to reach a verdict \u200cagainst Mr. Menendez\u2064 and a\u200b judge\u200c dismissed some of his charges while <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/charges-against-jeffrey-epsteins-jail-guards-dropped-during-ghislaine-maxwells-trial\/\" title=\"Charges Against Jeffrey Epstein\u2019s Jail Guards Dropped During Ghislaine Maxwell\u2019s Trial\">federal prosecutors dropped<\/a> the rest.<\/p>\n<h2>Santos Facing His Own Charges<\/h2>\n<p>Mr. Santos \u200doffered his support\u200c for \u2064Mr. Menendez \u200bas \u200che\u200c faces his \u200cown set of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/n-y-assemblyman-ron-kim-calls-for-gov-cuomos-impeachment\/\" title=\"N.Y. assemblyman Ron Kim calls for Gov. Cuomo\u2019s impeachment\">federal criminal charges<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>In \u200bMay, the U.S. Attorney&#8217;s Office for the \u200dEastern\u200d District of New York accused Mr.\u2062 Santos of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/rep-santos-says-sen-menendez-innocent-until-proven-guilty-as-democrat-senator-faces-bribery-charges\/\" title=\"Rep. Santos supports Sen. Menendez, believes in his innocence amidst bribery charges.\">committing unemployment insurance \u2062fraud<\/a>, \u2064using campaign funds for personal \u2064expenses, and providing Congress with\u2063 false information\u200d about his\u200b sources of\u200d income.<\/p>\n<p>Like\u2063 Mr. Menendez, Mr. Santos \u2063has\u200b refused to resign and\u200c has\u200d vowed \u200bto\u200d clear his \u200cname \u2063of the charges against him.<\/p>\n<p>House Speaker Kevin McCarthy\u2062 (R-Calif.), has\u200c decided not to demand Mr. Santos&#8217;s resignation,\u200c explaining that he would\u200c take away the freshman Republican&#8217;s committee assignments, but allow him to\u200c remain seated until he has had a trial.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;If a\u200b person\u200b is\u2063 indicted, they\u2019re not on committees, they have the \u200dright to vote, but they have to \u2064go to\u2062 trial,&#8221; Mr. McCarthy \u2064said in May.<\/p>\n<p>Mr. \u200bMcCarthy said this standard of allowing\u200c Mr. \u200bSantos to\u200c serve \u2062in Congress until he\u2064 is\u2064 found\u2063 guilty is the same standard \u200cgiven to Mr. \u2063Menendez and former \u2064Nebraska Republican\u200d congressman Jeff\u2062 Fortenberry when\u2063 they <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/feds-arrest-professor-who-smuggled-advanced-medical-equipment-to-iran\/\" title=\"Feds Arrest Professor Who Smuggled Advanced Medical Equipment to Iran\">faced federal criminal charges<\/a>.<\/p>\n<div class=\"my-5\">\n<p>Mr. Fortenberry was charged with \u200cfacilitating\u2062 illegal campaign contributions and\u200c making false statements to federal investigators. He was convicted last\u2064 year in a federal court in \u2063California.\u2063 Mr.\u2063 McCarthy <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/politics\/congress\/mccarthy-says-convicted-rep-fortenberry-resign-rcna21603\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">called<\/a> on Mr. Fortenberry to resign after \u2062the verdict and the Nebraska \u200bRepublican left \u200doffice \u2064on March\u200d 31, 2022.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"my-5\">\n<p>Though he did \u2064not\u200d demand Mr.\u200b Santos&#8217;s resignation, Mr. McCarthy ruled out supporting Mr. Santos should he seek reelection.<\/p>\n<h2>Some Democrats\u200b Seek Resignations Before Trial<\/h2>\n<p>In February, before Mr. Santos was ever formally charged, several House Democrats\u2064 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/article\/lgbt-democrats-file-hr-114-calling-for-expulsion-of-rep-george-santos-5049121\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">introduced a resolution\u200b to force his expulsion<\/a>. The expulsion resolution gained \u200dmomentum after Mr. Santos\u2062 was\u2064 officially charged, but the Republican \u200cHouse majority instead decided to defer on the expulsion over to a House ethics panel, essentially sidelining the effort to remove \u2062Mr. Santos.\u2064 The move to refer\u200c the expulsion resolution\u200c over to \u200cthe House ethics panel passed along party lines, with 221 Republicans supporting the referral while 204 Democrats opposed the decision.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Some Democrats\u2064 are already\u200c calling on Mr. Menendez to resign\u2063 from\u200c his Senate\u2064 seat.<\/p>\n<p>Democrat New Jersey\u2063 Gov. Phil Murphy is among\u200b those who have \u2063called for Mr. \u200dMenendez to resign.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cUnder our legal system, \u2063Senator Menendez and the \u2063other defendants have not been found guilty and will\u2063 have the ability to present evidence disputing\u200b these charges, and we must \u2062respect the\u2064 process,\u201d Mr. Murphy said. \u2063\u201cHowever, the alleged facts are so serious that they compromise the ability of Senator Menendez to effectively represent\u200d the people\u2062 of our state. Therefore, I\u200c am \u200ccalling for his \u200dimmediate resignation.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"my-5\">\n<p>After Mr. Menendez insisted he would not resign from his Senate seat, Rep. Andy Kim (D-N.J.)\u2064 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/us\/congressman-announces-2024-bid-against-senator-facing-bribery-charges-5497438\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">launched a campaign<\/a> to primary his \u200bfellow\u200c Democrat.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"my-5\">\n<p>&#8220;After calls\u2062 to \u200bresign, Senator Menendez said &#8216;I am \u200cnot going anywhere.&#8217;\u200b As \u200ca\u2063 result, I feel \u2062compelled to run against him. Not something\u200c I \u200dexpected to do, but NJ deserves \u2062better,&#8221; \u2062Mr. Kim <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/andykimnj\/status\/1705658967878230372?s=46\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">announced<\/a> on \u2063Saturday.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Not all Democrats in Congress are calling for Mr. Menendez to\u2062 step down. Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-N.J.)\u2014who supported the \u200dresolution to expel Mr. Santos\u2014called the charges\u2063 against Mr. Menendez &#8220;very concerning&#8221; but stopped short \u2063of demanding \u2062his resignation.<\/p>\n<div class=\"my-5\">\n<p>&#8220;Under our legal system,\u200b Senator Menendez maintains the presumption\u200b of innocence until proven\u2062 guilty,&#8221; Ms.\u2063 Watson\u2064 Coleman said \u200cin a Saturday <a href=\"https:\/\/watsoncoleman.house.gov\/newsroom\/press-releases\/watson-coleman-statement-on-senator-menendez-indictment\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">press statement<\/a>. &#8220;I\u2063 pray for the Senator \u2062and \u200chope he will make the right decision, one that is\u2062 in the best\u2063 interests of \u200bthe State and \u200dall New Jerseyans.&#8221;<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"my-5\">\n    <em>From <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ntd.com\/rep-santos-says-sen-menendez-innocent-until-proven-guilty-as-democrat-senator-faces-bribery-charges_943901.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">NTD News<\/a><\/em>\n  <\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p> <\/p>\n<h2> Why\u200b is it important for society\u2064 to uphold the principle of &#8220;innocent\u200d until proven guilty&#8221; in today&#8217;s media landscape?<\/h2>\n<p><span>  Nt should respect the\u200c legal\u200c process and refrain from making any hasty judgments or demands for resignation. He emphasized the importance of upholding\u2063 the principle of &#8220;innocent until proven guilty&#8221; and expressed\u200b his concern\u200c about the erosion of this principle in today&#8217;s\u200d media landscape.<\/p>\n<p>The charges against\u2063 Senator\u2063 Menendez stem from allegations that he accepted bribes from three businessmen \u2062in exchange for using his position to protect their interests and benefit the government \u2063of Egypt. While these accusations are serious, it is crucial to remember that Senator Menendez is entitled to a fair trial and the opportunity to defend himself against these charges.<\/p>\n<p>By defending Senator Menendez, Congressman Santos demonstrates a commitment to the principles of due\u2062 process and fairness. He recognizes that a person should\u2063 not be deemed\u2062 guilty based\u200b solely on allegations or media speculation. Instead, \u2063he advocates for a systematic evaluation of the evidence and a\u200c proper judicial review before passing \u200djudgment.<\/p>\n<p>The presumption of innocence is a cornerstone of our\u2063 legal system and an \u2064essential \u2064protection for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/were-going-to-find-you-govt-struggles-to-prosecute-billions-of-dollars-worth-of-covid-fraud\/\" title=\"\u2018We\u2019re Going To Find You\u2019: Govt Struggles To Prosecute Billions Of Dollars\u2019 Worth Of Covid Fraud\">individuals facing criminal charges<\/a>. It ensures that individuals are not stigmatized or\u200b treated unfairly before their guilt is established beyond a reasonable \u200cdoubt. Congressman Santos rightly asserts that we must adhere to this principle and \u200bafford Senator Menendez the opportunity to prove his innocence or guilt in a court of law.<\/p>\n<p>In\u200c an era where public opinion is often shaped by sensationalized media coverage and social media speculation, Congressman Santos&#8217;s defense of Senator Menendez serves as a reminder\u200b of the\u2063 importance of due process and fair treatment for all individuals\u200c accused of crimes, \u200bregardless of their political affiliation. It is essential for our society to respect the legal system and allow\u2064 it to run its \u2062course before rushing to\u2063 judgment or demanding \u2064immediate resignations.<\/p>\n<p>As \u2062the legal proceedings against \u200cSenator Menendez unfold, it is crucial that the public maintains \u2062a measured and objective \u200cperspective. Only through a fair and thorough examination of the evidence can the truth be determined. Until then, \u200dit is imperative that we respect the legal process and afford Senator Menendez \u200cthe presumption of innocence that he, like any other citizen, deserves.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Rep. George Santos (R-N.Y.) defends Sen. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), stating he should not resign unless proven guilty in court. Menendez and his wife, Nadine, were charged with accepting bribes from three individuals.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1759,"featured_media":2045235,"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":[543],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2045234","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-epoch-times"],"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\/2045234","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\/1759"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2045234"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2045234\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2045235"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2045234"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2045234"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2045234"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}