Sen. Cory Booker called Tuesday for his home state colleague Sen. Bob Menendez to resign, joining a growing chorus of Democrats in New Jersey and in the Senate who have said Menendez should step down in the face of a federal criminal indictment.
“As Senator Menendez prepares to mount his legal defense, he has stated that he will not resign. Senator Menendez fiercely asserts his innocence and it is therefore understandable that he believes stepping down is patently unfair. But I believe this is a mistake,” Booker said in a statement.
“Stepping down is not an admission of guilt but an acknowledgment that holding public office often demands tremendous sacrifices at great personal cost,” he added. “Senator Menendez has made these sacrifices in the past to serve. And in this case he must do so again. I believe stepping down is best for those Senator Menendez has spent his life serving.”
