Chuck Schumer demands Bob Menendez step down from Senate after conviction on 16 counts of corruption



Democrat Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York called on Bob Menendez to step down from his seat after a jury found him guilty on all 16 charges in a federal bribery case.

Prosecutors said Menendez had used his powerful Senate seat to sell favors to Egypt and other clients. Among those charges were bribery, acting as a foreign agent, extortion, wire fraud, and conspiracy to obstruct justice.

Schumer called for him to resign minutes after the conviction was announced on Tuesday.

"In light of this guilty verdict, Senator Menendez must now do what is right for his constituents, the Senate, and our country, and resign," wrote Schumer in a message on social media.

Other Democrats joined the chorus against the senator from New Jersey.

"I called on Sen. Menendez to resign after a mountain of damning evidence against him was made public. Now that he's been convicted on all counts, there's absolutely no excuse: He must resign or be expelled," said Rep. Jeff Jackson of North Carolina.

Democrat Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey also called on him to resign in a lengthy statement.

"This is a dark, painful day for the people of New Jersey. Representing people in Congress demands the public's trust. When any elected official violates that trust, it is a betrayal of the oath we take to serve the people who’ve elected us," wrote Booker in part.

"I call on Senator Menendez to resign. I originally did so last fall because of the severity of the allegations against him and how they shook the public’s trust," he added. "Now, with this conviction, the urgency for Senator Menendez to step down and for the governor to appoint a replacement has even more urgency."

Democrat New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy said that if Menendez refused to step down, the Senate should expel him.

Many Democrats called for Menendez to resign after he was indicted on the charges. Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania was especially acidic in his criticism of his congressional colleague.

"This wasn't politics as usual; this was politics for profit," said Damian Williams, the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York.

Some of the charges carry a maximum sentence of 20 years. If Menendez refuses to step down from his Senate seat, he can be expelled with a two-thirds vote of the legislative chamber.

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Democrat Sen. Bob Menendez FOUND GUILTY on all counts in federal corruption case



A jury determined that Sen. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) was guilty on several charges related to accusations of bribery and corruption on Tuesday.

The jury had been deliberating for 13 hours beginning Friday on the 16 counts filed against Menendez.

The charges against Menendez included conspiracy, bribery, extortion, obstruction of justice, and acting as a foreign agent of Egypt while the senator was a chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee.

Prosecutors said that the senator had received gold bars and even a Mercedes-Benz vehicle in exchange for political influence. They also found nearly half a million dollars in cash at his residence.

Some of the charges on their own may result in a prison term of up to 20 years.

Menendez had maintained his innocence throughout the trial. The Democrat had served in the Senate since 2006 but said that he would no longer run in a Democrat primary and would return as an "independent Democrat" if he were able to run again.

His attorney previously said that the charges "stink of desperation."

Other Democrats have called for Menendez to resign over the bribery allegations.

"We have a colleague in the Senate that's actually done much more sinister kinds of things. He needs to go," said Sen. John Fetterman (Penn.). "Menendez is really a senator for Egypt, not New Jersey."

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Co-defendant pleads guilty and agrees to cooperate in bribery case against top Democrat Sen. Bob Menendez



Sen. Bob Menendez of New Jersey was dealt a severe legal blow on Friday when his former co-defendant in a bribery case pleaded guilty and agreed to testify against the top Democrat.

Jose Uribe, a New Jersey businessman, admitted to seven charges in a Manhattan federal court, including honest services wire fraud, obstruction of justice, tax evasion, and conspiracy to commit bribery on Friday.

Uribe admitted in court to providing a Mercedez-Benz to Nadine Menendez, the senator's wife, in exchange for his “using his power and influence as a United States senator to get a favorable outcome and to stop all investigations related to one of my associates.”

He faces 95 years in prison for his crimes, and he has agreed to forfeit $246,000 related to those criminal acts.

Authorities have accused Menendez and his wife of accepting bribes in the form of cash, gold bars, and the luxury car in exchange for the senator's influence. Two other businessmen have been charged and have pleaded not guilty.

In January, Menendez was nailed with superseding charges related to his alleged acceptance of luxury watches in return for his influence to help a New Jersey developer obtain a multimillion-dollar deal with the Qatari government. The previous charges are related to accusations of bribery that benefited the government of Egypt.

Menendez has denied all charges against him.

He has also resisted calls from his own party to resign from his office, including the vociferous criticism from Democrat Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania.

"We have a colleague in the Senate that's actually done much more sinister kinds of things. He needs to go," said Fetterman, who was comparing him to a Republican expelled from Congress. "Menendez is really a senator for Egypt, not New Jersey."

Menendez was previously indicted in a bribery case in 2015 where he was accused of trading political favors for luxury flights, vacations, and other benefits. A judge declared a mistrial after jurors were unable to reach a verdict, and prosecutors later dropped the charges.

The 70-year-old Democrat was first elected to the U.S. Senate in 2006 and has served as the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

The trial against the Democrat and two remaining co-defendants is scheduled for May.

Here's more about the stunning development:

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Top Democrat Sen. Bob Menendez is under federal criminal investigation again



A powerful Democrat is under federal criminal investigation again, according to a confirmation from an aide to the senator.

The newest investigation into Sen. Robert Menendez of New Jersey was first reported by Semafor reporter Kadia Goba.

"Senator Menendez is aware of an investigation that was reported on today, however he does not know the scope of the investigation," said Menendez spokesperson Michael Soliman in a text. "As always, should any official inquiries be made, the Senator is available to provide any assistance that is requested of him or his office."

Semafor reported that Manhattan federal prosecutors had reached out to Menendez about the investigation and sent out at least one subpoena related to the case.

The New York Times documented an interview by prosecutors of an attorney in New Jersey named Antranig Aslanian, who casually knows Menendez. Aslanian says he knows of at least two other people who were subpoenaed.

Menendez was indicted on corruption and bribery charges in 2015. The Justice Department’s Public Integrity Unit accused him of trading political favors for various benefits, including luxury vacations and expensive flights, but a jury was unable to reach a verdict, and a judge declared a mistrial in the case. Prosecutors later officially dropped the case.

The prominent Florida ophthalmologist who was accused of bribing Menendez had also been convicted for a massive Medicare scam that cheated the government out of $90 million, but his sentence was commuted by then-President Donald Trump.

Menendez was admonished by the Senate for accepting gifts from the doctor.

The Semafor report also said the new investigation is broadly similar to the previous investigation but involves completely different people.

The 68-year-old senator is the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and has represented New Jersey in the U.S. Senate since 2006.

Here's more about the federal investigation:

BREAKING: Sen. Menendez Under Federal Criminal Investigation By U.S. Attorney's Officewww.youtube.com