Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) has added his voice to calls for Sen. Robert Menendez (D-N.J.) to resign.
Mr. Booker said while his fellow Garden State senator was innocent of corruption-related charges until proven guilty, he should not serve in the Senate while facing them.
In a Sept. 26 statement, Mr. Booker praised Mr. Menendez, who has been in the Senate since 2006.
“For nearly a decade, I’ve worked in the Senate alongside Sen. Menendez. As New Jersey’s junior senator, I imagine that I’ve had more professional experiences with him than most others, and I’ve witnessed his extraordinary work and boundless work ethic,” he said.
“I’ve consistently found Sen. Menendez to be intellectually gifted, tough, passionate, and deeply empathic. We have developed a working relationship and a friendship that I value and believe has furthered our effectiveness in serving New Jersey.”
Mr. Menendez’s indictment alleges that the senator and his wife, Nadine Menendez, took bribes from three supporters in exchange for favorable treatment surrounding the government of Egypt, whose human rights record has come under fire.
The last time the senator was indicted was in 2015 but the trial resulted in a hung jury and prosecutors declined to bring up the case again.
“Senator Menendez is again facing a federal indictment, one that contains shocking allegations of corruption and specific, disturbing details of wrongdoing. I’ve found the allegations hard to reconcile with the person I know,” said Mr. Booker.
“It is not surprising to me that Sen.Menendez is again determined to mount a vigorous defense. And I still believe he, like anyone involved with our criminal justice system, deserves our presumption of innocence until proven guilty.
“A jury of his peers will make the ultimate decision as to whether he is criminally guilty,” he said.
“There is, however, another higher standard for public officials, one not of criminal law but of common ideals,” continued Mr. Booker.
“As senators, we operate in the public trust. That trust is essential to our ability to do our work and perform our duties for our constituents.
“The details of the allegations against Sen. Menendez are of such a nature that the faith and trust of New Jerseyans as well as those he must work with in order to be effective have been shaken to the core.”
Over the weekend, Mr. Menendez has denied the charges and said he will not step down from the Senate.
“As Sen. Menendez prepares to mount his legal defense, he has stated that he will not resign,” said Mr. Booker.
“Sen. Menendez fiercely asserts his innocence and it is therefore understandable that he believes stepping down is patently unfair. But I believe this is a mistake.
“Stepping down is not an admission of guilt but an acknowledgment that holding public office often demands tremendous sacrifices at great personal cost.
“Sen. Menendez has made these sacrifices in the past to serve. And in this case, he must do so again. I believe stepping down is best for those Sen. Menendez has spent his life serving.”
