Calls for Menendez's Resignation

Democratic U.S. Senators Tammy Baldwin, Bob Casey, and Jon Tester joined a growing number of Democrats on Tuesday in calling for Senator Bob Menendez to resign after prosecutors and his wife accused him of accepting bribes from three New Jersey businessmen. If Menendez resigns, Murphy will appoint an interim successor. This is unlikely to change the balance of power in the chamber, as Democrats hold a narrow majority of 51 seats compared to 49 for Republicans. The legal troubles facing Menendez may complicate his party's efforts to maintain control of the Senate, even though New Jersey has not elected a Republican for this seat since 1972. Following the announcement of the charges on Friday, Democratic Representative Andy Kim indicated on Saturday that he would run against Menendez for his seat. Menendez, a strong voice in foreign policy who has at times gone against his party's direction, temporarily stepped down as chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in accordance with Democratic rules in the chamber. Prosecutors stated that "Menendez accepted gold bars and hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash in exchange for using his power and influence to assist the Egyptian government and intervene in law enforcement investigations involving the businessmen."