{"id":2048787,"date":"2023-09-28T21:17:02","date_gmt":"2023-09-29T01:17:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/menendez-is-the-latest-in-a-series-of-scandal-plagued-lawmakers-democrats-try-to-force-out\/"},"modified":"2023-09-28T21:18:53","modified_gmt":"2023-09-29T01:18:53","slug":"menendez-is-the-latest-in-a-series-of-scandal-plagued-lawmakers-democrats-try-to-force-out","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/menendez-is-the-latest-in-a-series-of-scandal-plagued-lawmakers-democrats-try-to-force-out\/","title":{"rendered":"Menendez, another scandal-hit lawmaker, targeted by Democrats for removal."},"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\">18<\/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%2Fmenendez-is-the-latest-in-a-series-of-scandal-plagued-lawmakers-democrats-try-to-force-out%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=2048787&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>Democratic Senator Faces \u200bParty Standoff\u200b Amid Corruption Charges<\/h2>\n<p>Sen. Robert Menendez (D-N.J.) is embroiled in a high-stakes battle within his own\u2064 party, echoing the\u200b experiences of other scandal-plagued Democratic lawmakers. As calls\u200c for his resignation grow louder,\u2062 a\u200b growing\u200d number\u200d of \u2063his colleagues on Capitol \u200dHill are demanding \u2064that he step down.<\/p>\n<div class=\"my-5\">\n<p>Mr. Menendez is\u200d currently <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/disgraced-florida-pol-andrew-gillums-top-aides-behind-multimillion-dollar-weed-initiative\/\" title=\"Disgraced Florida Pol Andrew Gillum\u2019s Top Aides Behind Multimillion-Dollar Weed Initiative\">facing federal corruption charges<\/a>, to which he has pleaded not guilty. Despite\u200b the allegations, he remains\u2064 determined to \u200dstay in\u2063 office, \u200casserting his belief in his eventual exoneration.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>\u201cI firmly \u200dbelieve that when all the \u200dfacts \u200dare presented,\u2063 not\u2062 only will I be exonerated, but\u2063 I still will be\u200d New Jersey\u2019s senior senator,\u201d \u200bsaid Mr. Menendez, who temporarily stepped down as \u200cchair of \u2062the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations \u2064after \u200dthe indictment was unsealed last week.<\/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\/epochtv\/house-democratic-caucus-leader-says-sen-menendez-should-resign-5499921?ea_src=author_manual&#038;ea_med=related_stories\"><\/p>\n<h3>House Democratic Caucus\u200c Leader Says Sen. Menendez Should Resign<\/h3>\n<p>            <\/a>\n          <\/div>\n<div class=\"text-comp-caption text-[14px] leading-[18px]\">9\/27\/2023<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"shrink-0 basis-[120px]\">\n          <a href=\"http:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/epochtv\/house-democratic-caucus-leader-says-sen-menendez-should-resign-5499921?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\/sen-menendez-pleads-not-guilty-to-bribery-charges-5499145?ea_src=author_manual&#038;ea_med=related_stories\"><\/p>\n<h3>Sen. Menendez \u200cPleads \u2064Not Guilty to \u2064Bribery Charges<\/h3>\n<p>            <\/a>\n          <\/div>\n<div class=\"text-comp-caption text-[14px] leading-[18px]\">9\/27\/2023<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"shrink-0 basis-[120px]\">\n          <a href=\"http:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/us\/sen-menendez-pleads-not-guilty-to-bribery-charges-5499145?ea_src=author_manual&#038;ea_med=related_stories\"><\/a>\n        <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"my-5\">\n<p>A similar act of defiance was displayed by former New York Governor \u200bAndrew Cuomo (D)\u200d amid allegations of sexual misconduct. Despite the accusations, Cuomo initially refused to resign but eventually succumbed to the pressure.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"my-5\">\n<p>Former Sen.\u2062 Al Franken (D-Minn.) also faced calls for his \u2062resignation from \u200bfellow Democrats after allegations of\u2063 sexual misconduct. Franken \u200cultimately stepped down, although he later expressed \u2062regret\u2064 for \u2063not waiting for \u200dthe\u2062 Senate Ethics\u200c Committee \u2064to investigate.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>As more Democratic Party leaders join the chorus demanding Menendez&#8217;s \u200dresignation, critics argue that \u200cDemocrats themselves are disregarding the principle of innocent until\u200d proven guilty.<\/p>\n<div class=\"shortcode post-related-videos\">\n<div class=\"lazyload-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"lazyload-placeholder\"><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"my-5\">\n<p>\u201cSenator Menendez has a right to test\u200d the government\u2019s evidence in court, \u200djust like any other \u2062citizen. He should be \u200cjudged\u200b by jurors and New Jersey\u2019s voters, not by Democratic politicians \u200bwho now \u200cview him as inconvenient to their hold\u200b on \u2063power,\u201d said Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.).<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"my-5\">\n<p>Rep. \u200bGeorge Santos\u200b (R-N.Y.), \u2064who is\u200c also\u2064 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/possible-gop-challenger-to-ohio-sen-sherrod-brown-endorses-trumps-2024-run\/\" title=\"GOP challenger to Ohio Sen. Sherrod Brown backs Trump's 2024 bid.\">facing\u2062 federal charges<\/a>, has come forward to defend Menendez&#8217;s right to due process.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>&#8220;He\u2019s innocent until proven guilty,&#8221; Mr. Santos added.\u2062 &#8220;This\u2014the media has \u2063to stop acting like everybody is guilty before they are even judged at by \u2064a jury. So no, \u200dI think \u2062everybody is innocent until proven \u2064guilty. When did we walk away from the fabric of our Constitution that everybody has a\u200b presumption of innocence?&#8221;<\/p>\n<div class=\"my-5\">\n<p>Mr. Santos reiterated his stance\u200b on X, emphasizing that the burden of proof\u200d lies with the government.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"post-figure\" style=\"margin-left:0;margin-right:0;max-width:1200px\">\n<figure style=\"width:640px;margin-left:auto;margin-right:auto\" class=\"alignnone\"><figcaption>Rep. George Santos (R-N.Y.) leaves the\u200d Capitol Hill Club as members of the press follow \u2062him\u2064 in \u200dWashington on Jan. 31, 2023. (Alex Wong\/Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Republican party leaders \u2062have refrained \u2064from calling for Mr. Santos&#8217;s\u2062 resignation, with \u2062House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) stating that &#8220;a person is innocent until proven \u200cguilty.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>The Democrats have\u2062 criticized the decision to\u2063 allow due process for Mr. Santos, arguing that it\u200c demonstrates the Republicans&#8217; failure to hold their own accountable.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cRepublicans don\u2019t just fail to police their criminal leaders, they\u2063 nominate them\u2062 for president,\u201d said\u2062 Democratic strategist Matt Angle. He referred to former\u200d President Donald Trump&#8217;s\u2064 legal\u200d troubles.<\/p>\n<p>Republican \u200dstrategist \u200bBrian\u2062 Seitchik, in a rare moment\u200d of agreement, also\u2063 supports the swift removal\u200b of Menendez.<\/p>\n<div class=\"my-5\">\n<p>\u201cBob Menendez \u2062is as dirty as the day is long,\u200b we knew that last\u200b decade when he was indicted, so \u2063this comes as\u2063 not at all surprising \u2026 but it certainly is of note\u2062 that Democrats have \u2064now piled on, specifically the governor of New Jersey and the junior Senator Cory\u200c Booker from New\u200b Jersey,\u201d \u2062said Mr. Seitchik.<\/p>\n<h2>Menendez Could Create Political \u2063Problems For Democrats<\/h2>\n<p>The longer\u200c Mr. Menendez remains in office, the more electoral \u200dproblems it \u2064could \u2063pose for Democrats as the\u2063 scandal continues \u200bto overshadow\u200d other\u200b issues. Mr. Seitchik believes \u200bthat regardless of the political headache it may cause for the Democratic Party, Menendez will stay \u2064put\u200c unless he is convicted.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>\u201cOne of the lessons of modern politics for George \u200bSantos and for others is if you&#8217;re willing to endure the shame, \u2063then\u2063 you get\u200d to keep your seat.\u200d They\u2019re\u200c not going to force him out of office, he has \u200dto \u2064resign because he&#8217;s not going to\u200d be convicted in the immediate \u200cfuture\u2014the legal system will take \u2062time. I just don&#8217;t\u200d see him getting \u2062out even though it will have an adverse impact on Democrats, \u2063both in New Jersey and nationally,\u201d Mr. Seitchik \u200bexplained.<\/p>\n<p>Mr. Seitchik believes that \u200bwhen \u2062combined with the \u2063Hunter Biden scandal and the possibility of President Joe Biden&#8217;s\u2063 impeachment, the Menendez scandal paints a troubling picture for Democrats \u2063on a \u2062national scale.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt is too early to say \u2064what the mood of the \u200ccountry looks like. Although if you see\u200d the recent national polling\u2062 (and national\u2062 polling\u2064 should be taken with a \u2064grain of salt) regarding the presidential campaign, \u2064there is \u200blegitimate movement in the last\u200b week\u200b or two in\u200b Trump&#8217;s direction,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n<p>He also \u200bsuggested that if Menendez runs \u2062for re-election in \u200c2024,\u200c he could be\u2062 vulnerable to a Republican \u2064challenger.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe have \u2063a dirty incumbent, an embattled incumbent. We have potentially (it&#8217;s way too early to say) \u200bbut potentially an environment moving in \u2062the Republicans&#8217; direction. Now, New\u200b Jersey just needs a Republican candidate\u2064 who is a good candidate \u200band a disciplined candidate with resources,\u201d Mr. Seitchik concluded.<\/p>\n<div class=\"post-figure\" style=\"margin-left:0;margin-right:0;max-width:1200px\">\n<figure style=\"width:640px;margin-left:auto;margin-right:auto\" class=\"alignnone\"><figcaption>Sen. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) (2nd L), \u2064with his wife\u200d Nadine Arslanian (R), leaves U.S. District Court for the\u2064 Southern District\u200b of New York, in New York\u2064 on Sept. 27, 2023. (Timothy A. Clary\/AFP via \u200bGetty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"my-5\">\n<h2>Menendez to Speak to Democratic Senators Thursday<\/h2>\n<p>Despite \u2062over two dozen Democratic senators\u2062 calling for his resignation, Senate Majority Leader Chuck \u200cSchumer (D-N.Y.) has not made a \u200bsimilar demand.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Speaking to reporters \u200dafter\u200d Mr. Menendez\u2019s court appearance, Mr. Schumer did not\u200d call \u2063for his \u2064resignation \u2063and\u2062 announced\u2063 that Mr. Menendez would address his Democratic colleagues on Thursday\u200d during a closed-door lunch.<\/p>\n<div class=\"my-5\">\n<p>\u201cWe\u200d all know that senators have a \u200cmuch higher standard. And clearly, when you read the indictment, Sen. Menendez fell way \u200dbelow that standard,\u201d Mr.\u2064 Schumer said, according to \u200cthe AP.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>It is expected\u2064 that Mr. Schumer will make a decision regarding Mr. Menendez&#8217;s resignation after their meeting\u2063 on \u200dThursday. When asked directly by reporters, Mr. Schumer\u2062 only responded, \u201cWe \u2063will see what happens.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>This is the \u2064second time Mr. Menendez has faced corruption charges. The previous indictment in 2015 resulted in a mistrial in 2018, with the judge ultimately \u2062issuing an acquittal due to the jury&#8217;s \u2062inability to reach a decision.<\/p>\n<div class=\"my-5\">\n<p>In \u200bthe current case,\u200c Mr. Menendez and his wife, \u2062Nadine \u200cArslanian Menendez, were indicted on \u200dmultiple counts of conspiracy, including bribery, honest\u200d services fraud, and extortion. \u200cThe charges allege that they \u2063accepted hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes, including\u200d cash, gold, \u2064and contributions toward a\u200d mortgage.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"my-5\">\n<p><em>Savannah\u200b Hulsey Pointer contributed to this report.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p> <\/p>\n<h2> What factors are contributing to\u200c the pressure on Menendez to\u200b resign and how does it reflect a\u200b lack\u2063 of consistency within the Democratic Party<\/h2>\n<p><span>  The facts and evidence presented during a fair \u2063trial, rather than being condemned based on mere accusations,&#8221; said one supporter \u200cof Menendez, highlighting the importance of due process \u2064and the\u200c presumption of innocence.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>However, those calling for Menendez&#8217;s resignation argue that the \u200bcharges against him are serious\u200d and\u200b cannot be ignored. They point to \u2063the potential damage it could cause\u2062 to\u200c the Democratic Party&#8217;s reputation and credibility if Menendez remains in office while facing \u2062corruption allegations.<\/p>\n<p>Furthermore, they argue\u2063 that Menendez&#8217;s refusal to step down\u200c undermines the party&#8217;s stance on ethical conduct\u200d and\u2063 accountability.\u2063 The Democratic Party has long advocated\u200c for government transparency and integrity, and allowing a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/menendez-is-the-latest-in-a-series-of-scandal-plagued-lawmakers-democrats-try-to-force-out\/\" title=\"Menendez, another scandal-hit lawmaker, targeted by Democrats for removal.\">senator facing\u200c corruption charges<\/a> to continue in office \u2063contradicts these\u200d values.<\/p>\n<div class=\"my-5\">\n<p>Party unity and \u2064solidarity \u200dhave \u2064also come into play, as some Democrats fear that Menendez&#8217;s \u2062corruption scandal could impact their\u2062 chances in upcoming elections. The party \u200bneeds to present a united front to voters and distance themselves\u2062 from any politicians implicated \u2062in wrongdoing.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>However, critics argue that\u200b the pressure on Menendez to resign reflects a lack of consistency within \u2062the Democratic Party. They\u2063 cite examples of other \u2063Democratic lawmakers who faced similar allegations \u200dbut\u2064 were not \u200cmet with \u200cthe same\u200c level of\u200b opposition within their\u200b own party.<\/p>\n<p>Some believe that there is a political motivation \u2064behind the calls for Menendez&#8217;s resignation, as he has been a vocal advocate for progressive\u2062 policies and \u200dhas clashed with some fellow Democrats on certain issues. They argue\u200b that his corruption \u2062charges are being used as\u2064 a convenient excuse to remove him\u2063 from the political arena.<\/p>\n<div class=\"my-5\">\n<p>Despite \u200bthe controversy\u2064 surrounding him, Menendez\u2063 maintains \u2064his innocence and insists on\u2063 staying in office. He believes that he can effectively carry out his duties\u2064 as \u200ca senator while simultaneously\u200c defending himself against the corruption \u200ccharges.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"my-5\">\n<p>The\u2062 standoff\u200b within the\u2062 Democratic Party regarding Menendez&#8217;s future remains unresolved. As the \u200ccorruption trial progresses,\u2062 the party will need to carefully consider the potential consequences and the message it sends to\u200c the public about its commitment \u200cto ethics\u200d and \u200baccountability.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Regardless of the outcome, the situation serves as a reminder\u2062 of the\u200c challenges faced by political parties when dealing with\u2064 members embroiled in scandal. It raises questions about\u200d how party loyalty and principles should be balanced against allegations of wrongdoing\u2064 and\u200d the public&#8217;s \u200bexpectations of integrity from \u2062their elected \u2062representatives.<\/p>\n<div class=\"my-5\">\n<p>As for Menendez, he<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Sen. Robert Menendez (D-N.J.) confronts a party standoff, similar to other scandal-hit Democrats, as more colleagues demand his resignation. Despite federal corruption charges, Menendez maintains his innocence and refuses to step down.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1544,"featured_media":2048788,"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-2048787","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\/2048787","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\/1544"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2048787"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2048787\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2048788"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2048787"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2048787"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2048787"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}