Menendez faces growing pressure to resign from the Senate

Bob Menendez is officially a convicted felon — and a U.S. legislator — astatine nan aforesaid time. If his colleagues person thing to opportunity astir it, that won’t past long.

After decades successful nationalist service, nan longtime New Jersey Democrat is near pinch a pending condemnation and a doomed reelection bid. Shortly aft a assemblage publication disconnected nan verdict that he was blameworthy connected each counts, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer ended months of guidance and called connected Menendez to resign, joining much than half of Senate Democrats who person already done so.

More than a twelve of Menendez’s Senate colleagues had resisted calling for him to measurement down, pinch galore resolved to let nan New Jerseyan his owed process. Now that he’s convicted, moreover nan astir reserved Senate Democrats are hardly eager to service speech a convicted felon, moreover if it’s only for nan remainder of nan term.

In summation to Schumer, Sen. Laphonza Butler (D-Calif.) besides called connected Menendez to measurement down Tuesday. Fellow New Jersey Democratic Sen. Cory Booker and others besides repeated their calls for Menendez to resign.

Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.), who had not yet called connected Menendez to resign, told reporters anterior to nan verdict he thought that if Menendez’s charges were proved true, they would beryllium “fatal to his expertise to serve.”

If Menendez were to garbage to measurement down, however, senators could take to censure aliases expel him. Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.), who’s been Menendez’s astir vocal antagonist successful nan Senate, did not straight reply a mobility past week connected whether he would push for censure aliases different resolutions against Menendez if nan New Jersey legislator was recovered guilty.

“Regardless, I'm getting his parking space,” Fetterman quipped.

Menendez, for his part, struck a defiant reside successful a connection aft nan verdict Tuesday: “We will beryllium successful upon appeal. ... I person ne'er violated my nationalist oath.”

Menendez is moving for reelection arsenic an independent but was already seen arsenic a longshot campaigner anterior to his conviction. Rep. Andy Kim (D-N.J.) won nan Democratic information successful nan New Jersey Senate race.

Kim successful a connection aft nan condemnation called it “a sad and somber time for New Jersey and our country.”

“Our nationalist servants should activity for nan people, and coming we saw nan group judge Senator Menendez arsenic blameworthy and unfit to serve,” Kim said, re-upping his calls for nan legislator to measurement down.

If Menendez did measurement down, New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy (D), whose woman besides concisely ran for Menendez’s seat, would beryllium tasked pinch appointing a successor. He could name Kim, allowing nan congressman to past tally arsenic an incumbent, aliases he could take different placeholder. In a connection pursuing nan verdict, Murphy said he would make "a impermanent appointment" for nan Senate spot if Menendez's spot became vacant.

There are immoderate automatic consequences for Menendez if he sticks around. He would beryllium permanently barred from holding immoderate activity positions, including connected committees. He’d already stepped down arsenic chair of nan Senate Foreign Relations Committee pursuing his indictment past year.

There would besides beryllium accrued questions and scrutiny complete his entree to classified information. Currently, nary Senate Democratic Caucus rules would prohibit him from accessing classified briefings. Fetterman has a measure that would prohibit Menendez and senators convicted of akin crimes from accessing classified accusation and briefings — but it has not seen activity connected nan floor.

Expulsion, if Senate Democrats took that step, is incredibly rare. Such a solution would person to clear a two-thirds period successful a afloat Senate vote. That intends a fistful of Republicans would beryllium required to ballot alongside Democrats. Currently, nan only GOP legislator to telephone connected Menendez to measurement speech is Josh Hawley (R-Mo.).