Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., said his Democratic colleague Sen. Robert Menendez of New Jersey should not be resign his seat in Congress. A federal grand jury indicted Menendez on 14 counts of bribery and conspiracy last week, charging that he accepted nearly $1 million in campaign contributions and gifts in exchange for political favors. Menendez stepped down from his post as the leading Democrat on the Foreign Relations Committee, yet vowed that he is not leaving Congress.
“I think our judicial system works in a pretty simple way. You’re innocent until proven guilty,” Murphy said. “He’s a respected member of our caucus. He’s not going to be the leader of the Foreign Relations Committee any longer, but I think he deserves a chance to be able to have his day in court before he’s forced out of the United States Senate.”
- Daniel Cooney