US Sen. Menendez Says He Won't Resign

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The Facts

  • On Monday, in his first public remarks since his Sept. 22 indictment, US Sen. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) Menendez signaled that he intends to stay in office. This comes as New Jersey state leadership has called for Menendez to leave Congress altogether, with New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy and most of the state's Democratic House delegation urging him to resign.

  • Menendez and his wife were indicted Friday in New York for allegedly accepting hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes. They both deny the charges.


The Spin

Republican narrative

Menendez should be ashamed that he again finds himself being charged with corruption, and he should resign immediately. Any work he does will be tainted by the stain of corruption, and — although he’s innocent until proven guilty — Democrats' reluctance to challenge his actions raises questions.

Democratic narrative

No one ever wants to see a high-level official accused of corruption. But this case speaks against the accusations that the Dept. of Justice is being weaponized against conservatives. The DOJ — alongside the Democratic party — has done its due diligence in this case and in the previous one against the senator.


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