WASHINGTON – Senator Amy Klobuchar, a Minnesota Democrat, called for fellow Democrat Bob Menendez to resign his Senate seat from New Jersey. Menendez has been charged with taking giant bribes in his role as a senior senator in exchange for favors to Egypt – and also bribes from others for special treatment. Klobuchar joined a growing number of Democrats who want to clean house. All have noted that Menendez is innocent until proven otherwise but that public confidence in him is nonetheless ruined. The public good would be served by his immediate departure, they said in a series of separate public announcements. A detailed 39-page federal indictment on Friday noted that investigators found $480,000 in cash, some hidden in clothing at his home , and more than $100,000 in gold bars.
Political response
Republicans have been silent on the Menendez issue rather than draw public attention to their own scandals from theTump years. Democrats, however, have been quick to go after Menendez, even though he’s one of their own: Among senators urging resignation so far, besides Klobuchar: Cory Booker of New Jersey, Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin, and 25 others.
Verbatim
Menendez, of Cuban heritage, used a race card: “It is not lost on me how quickly some are rushing to judge a Latino and push him out of his seat. I am not going anywhere.” Menendez did, however,resign as chair of the Senate Foreign Affairs Committee.
Menendez. In the Senate 19 years and before that in the U.S. House.