U.S. Sen. Cory Booker said it’s time for Bob Menendez to resign from the U.S. Senate.
Booker, the Democratic junior senator from New Jersey who suggested Menendez should step down last fall following his indictment on federal corruption charges, made an even stronger plea Tuesday following his conviction on all 16 counts.
Booker is one of many top officials asking him to resign, joining a chorus that includes Gov. Phil Murphy and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.).
Here is Booker’s full 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. Without that trust, our ability to do our work and perform our duties for our constituents is compromised.
“Sen. Menendez was afforded his due process rights and mounted a full defense in a court of law, as every criminal defendant has the constitutional right to do. This verdict means that a jury of Sen. Menendez’s peers, sworn to be impartial, reviewed the evidence and unanimously concluded beyond a reasonable doubt that he had broken the law.
“I call on Sen. 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. Now, with this conviction, the urgency for Sen. Menendez to step down and for the governor to appoint a replacement has even more urgency.”
