After Sen. Bob Menendez was first indicted last September, the New Jersey Democrat’s colleagues paused before calling for his ouster, waiting to see what the lawmaker would have to say about the allegations. Menendez initially responded by suggesting that racism had something to do with the prosecution.
It was at that point when a variety of unpersuaded Democratic officials, including his home state’s governor, called for the senator’s resignation. In fact, the more he struggled to present much of a public defense, the more support Menendez lost.
Four months later, as NBC News reported, he’s still trying.
Sen. Bob Menendez, D-N.J., on Tuesday denied new bribery allegations against him involving Qatar and pushed back on calls from his Senate colleagues to resign in remarks on the chamber floor. … Menendez vehemently denied the new allegations in an almost 20-minute speech on the Senate floor in which he maintained his innocence and urged his colleagues not to rush to judgment before he has the opportunity to explain himself in court.
For those who might benefit from a refresher, let’s revisit our earlier coverage and review how we arrived at this point.
It was in late September when federal prosecutors first indicted Menendez, alleging that the New Jersey Democrat received “hundreds of thousands of dollars” in bribes and used his influence to benefit, among others, the Egyptian government.
Though the senator has denied any wrongdoing, and he pleaded not guilty in court, it was difficult to deny the seriousness of the allegations. According to the Justice Department, Menendez received, among other things, cash, gold bars, payments toward a home mortgage, compensation for a low- or no-show job, and a luxury vehicle.
Roughly three weeks later, the senator was indicted again, and those charges accused him of providing sensitive information to the Egyptian government in exchange for bribes. What’s more, prosecutors alleged that Menendez acted as a foreign…
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