Sen. Cory Booker Calls for Sen. Robert Menendez to Resign Following Bribery Indictment

Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) called on Sen. Robert Menendez (D-N.J.) to resign Tuesday, joining a growing number of Democratic senators in the wake of Menendez’s indictment on bribery charges.

Menendez was indicted Friday on three counts of public corruption, including taking $100,000 in gold bars and $480,000 in cash in exchange for official acts to help an Egyptian American businessman. In a statement, Booker said Menendez’s resignation was not an admission of guilt, but an acknowledgment of the sacrifices demanded by public office.

The indictment also alleges that Menendez held secret meetings with Egyptian military and intelligence officials in which he supplied them with sensitive information and assisted them in managing relations with the U.S. government. This relationship is a central charge in the indictment, which prosecutors spend the first 30 paragraphs homing in on.

The indictment paints a picture of a stunning series of interactions for the position which Menendez held until last week: chair of the Senate Foreign Affairs Committee. It includes allegations of gold bars, a Mercedes-Benz, and meat-related gifts.

The calls for Menendez’s resignation come as the New Jersey senator faces a federal corruption trial. It remains to be seen if Menendez will heed Booker’s call and step down from his post.