WASHINGTON — Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., the No. 2 Senate leader, on Wednesday called for Sen. Bob Menendez, D-N.J., to resign, while the top Democrat, Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said the indicted lawmaker’s actions fell “way, way below the standard” of the office.
With Durbin posting a short statement on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, all the top Senate leaders with the exception of Senate Majority Leader Schumer, are pushing Menendez to quit.
“Leaders in New Jersey, including the Governor and my Senate colleague Cory Booker, have made it clear that Sen. Menendez can no longer serve. He should step down,” Durbin said.
Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., on Tuesday said Menendez should give up his seat.
While Schumer stopped short of calling for Menendez’s resignation, his criticism was harsh.
“Like you, I was just deeply disappointed, disturbed when I read the indictment,” he said at a press conference in the Capitol.
Schumer is now the only senator in Democratic leadership who is not asking for Menendez to step down. He said he has known Menendez “a very long time.” Schumer suggested he is reserving judgment until the senators hear from him, which will be, Schumer said, on Thursday.
“For senators, there’s a much, much higher standard,” Schumer added. “And clearly, when you read the indictment, Sen. Menendez fell way way below that standard. Tomorrow, he will address the Democratic caucus, and we’ll see what happens after that.”
Durbin’s call came as Menendez and his wife, Nadine, made a court appearance at Manhattan federal court on bribery charges. They are accused of taking gold bars, a Mercedes, $480,000 in cash and more in the indictment unsealed last Friday.
When asked on CNN Sunday about Menendez, Durbin declined a chance to ask him to quit. By Wednesday, however, Booker, the junior senator from New Jersey, said Menendez should resign, opening the floodgates.
According to tallies by news outlets, at least 30 Senate Democrats now want Menendez to step down. Democrats control the Senate with 48 Democrats and three independents who vote with the Democrats.
