Sen. Bob Menendez Refuses to Resign Despite Calls from Fellow Senate Democrats

Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ) emerged from a closed-door meeting with fellow Senate Democrats on Thursday, defiant in the face of calls for his resignation. Menendez is facing federal bribery charges and has refused to resign.

Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA), who was present at the meeting, held court with reporters afterwards. He joked about Menendez allegedly searching for the cost of a kilo of gold, and said he was not interested in any explanation for why Menendez might have gold bars in his mattress. Fetterman also called Menendez’s ongoing refusal to resign a “level of arrogance that is astonishing.”

Members of the panel, including Sens. Chris Coons of Delaware, Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire and Brian Schatz of Hawaii, all stepped out of the meeting around 1:30 p.m. Menendez himself spoke to reporters after the meeting, saying that he was confident his colleagues would look for his vote when they need it.

The bribery charges against Menendez have been a source of controversy for some time, and the meeting on Thursday was the latest in a series of discussions about the senator’s future. It remains to be seen whether Menendez will ultimately resign or if he will continue to serve in the Senate.