New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy is calling on Sen. Robert Menendez to resign, saying his indictment on bribery charges is “deeply disturbing.”
Mr. Murphy, a fellow Democrat, said Friday the charges against Mr. Menendez, who chairs the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, implicate national security and “the integrity of our criminal justice system.”
“Under our legal system, Senator Menendez and the other defendants have not been found guilty and will have the ability to present evidence disputing these charges, and we must respect the process,” Mr. Murphy said. “However, the alleged facts are so serious that they compromise the ability of Senator Menendez to effectively represent the people of our state. Therefore, I am calling for his immediate resignation.”
Under New Jersey state law, Mr. Murphy would pick a successor to fill out Mr. Menendez’s term if the criminal case forced him to resign. The senator’s current term ends in 2024.
Mr. Murphy’s comments go further than some other Democrats, who expressed concern about the indictment but are waiting for the process to play out. Still, several other elected Democrats in Congress and in the state legislature are urging Mr. Menendez to step down.
Federal prosecutors in New York charged Mr. Menendez with a scheme to secretly aid the nation of Egypt, through his position in the Senate, and to provide benefits for a trio of associates — including interference in criminal investigations — in exchange for cash and other financial benefits for himself and his wife, Nadine.
“Bob Menendez has been a dedicated public servant and is always fighting hard for the people of New Jersey. He has a right to due process and a fair trial,” said Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer, New York Democrat. “Senator Menendez has rightly decided to step down temporarily from his position as chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee until the matter has been resolved.”
Mr. Menendez on Friday said prosecutors made the facts fit their own narrative. He said he would contest the charges.
“The excesses of these prosecutors is apparent,” he said. “They have misrepresented the normal work of a congressional office. On top of that, not content with making false claims against me, they have attacked my wife for the long standing friendships she had before she and I even met.”
