Top Democrats Begin Pushing Menendez To Resign As He Steps Down From Chairmanship

Top Democrats from New Jersey have started to press Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ) to resign after he was indicted on Friday on corruption charges stemming from alleged bribes that he took in exchange for taking actions as an elected official.

New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy (D) said that the allegations in the indictment were “deeply disturbing” because they “implicate national security and the integrity of our criminal justice system.”

“The alleged facts are so serious that they compromise the ability of Senator Menendez to effectively represent the people of our state,” he said. “Therefore, I am calling for his immediate resignation.”

Menendez stepped down from his powerful role as chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee because he was required to do so, according to Senate Democrat bylaws, which state that “any member who serves in a leadership position in the Conference who is charged with a felony shall cease to exercise the powers and duties of his or her leadership position.”

Rep. Andy Kim (D-NJ) also called for Menendez to resign, saying that the allegations were “serious and alarming.”

“It doesn’t matter what your job title is or your politics – no one in America is above the law,” he said. “The people of New Jersey absolutely need to know the truth of what happened, and I hope the judicial system works thoroughly and quickly to bring this truth to light. In the meantime, I don’t have confidence that the Senator has the ability to properly focus on our state and its people while addressing such a significant legal matter. He should step down.”

Reps. Frank Pallone (D-NJ) and Bill Pascrell (D-NJ) both also called for Menendez to resign from his senate seat.

Wow, senior NJ Dems Pallone and Pascrell calling on Menendez to resign: pic.twitter.com/2nvTjW2uSt

— Heather Caygle (@heatherscope) September 22, 2023

Former Rep. Tom Malinowski (D-NJ) also called on Menendez to resign, writing: “As a moral matter, how can we ask Americans to vote against an indicted Trump, but for an indicted Democratic Senator, especially with evidence this damning?”

“I believe Senator Menendez should resign,” he said. “When I was in Congress, I got several tough-on-Egypt provisions into House-passed defense bills, which were then stripped in the Senate. I still don’t know why. But the idea that the chairman of the SFRC may then have been in a corrupt relationship with Egypt is horrifying.”

When I was in Congress, I got several tough-on-Egypt provisions into House-passed defense bills, which were then stripped in the Senate.

I still don't know why. But the idea that the chairman of the SFRC may then have been in a corrupt relationship with Egypt is horrifying.

— Tom Malinowski (@Malinowski) September 22, 2023

The indictment says that Menendez and his wife had a corrupt relationship with New Jersey businessmen Wael Hana, Jose Uribe, and Fred Daibes, who allegedly gave the senator bribes worth hundreds of thousands of dollars. According to the DOJ, the bribes were intended to protect the businessmen and to benefit Egypt.

Menendez faces charges of conspiracy to commit bribery, conspiracy to commit honest services fraud, and conspiracy to commit extortion under color of official right.

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“Those bribes included cash, gold, payments toward a home mortgage, compensation for a low-or-no-show job, a luxury vehicle, and other things of value,” the indictment said. Federal authorities reportedly found gold bars and cash stuffed throughout the senator’s home that they traced back to the businessmen Menendez allegedly worked with.

“Over $480,000 in cash — much of it stuffed into envelopes and hidden in clothing, closets, and a safe — was discovered in the home,” the indictment said. Photos included in the indictment included pictures of gold bars and hundred dollars bills that had been stuffed in clothing.

Related: Pressure Mounts For Democrat Sen. Bob Menendez To Resign From Office Over Corruption Charges

Candace Owens’ ‘Convicting A Murderer’ Jumps To #1 Spot On Rotten Tomatoes List

The DailyWire+ true crime docuseries “Convicting a Murderer,” starring Candace Owens, hit the #1 spot on Rotten Tomatoes’ “Best Documentary TV Shows” list this week. 

“Convicting a Murderer” is now the most popular documentary TV show, sitting ahead of FX’s “Welcome to Wrexham” and Apple TV’s “The Super Models.” The DailyWire+ series, which reveals what filmmakers left out of the popular Netflix series “Making a Murderer,” premiered on September 7 and released episode 5 of the 10-part series Thursday. 

The Netflix series “Making a Murderer” portrayed convicted criminal Steven Avery as an innocent victim of corrupt law enforcement in the murder of Teresa Halbach. “Making a Murderer” sparked a worldwide fascination in the case, attracting around 19 million viewers, but “Convicting a Murderer” pulls back the curtain on what viewers missed in “Making a Murderer.” 

“Convicting a Murderer” currently holds a 71% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes even after Avery appeared to be directing his supporters to tank the audience review score of Owens’ docuseries. 

“IMPORTANT: Steven is asking for all his supporters to flood Rotten Tomatoes and give ‘Convicting a Murderer’ a bad review,” reads a post on the 36,000-member Facebook group called “Steven Avery is INNOCENT.” 

“This garbage and vitriol is NOT TRUE and we need our community to step up and let … Owens know that STEVEN AVERY IS INNOCENT!” the post added. 

Before the post, “Convicting a Murderer” was boasting an average review score in the 90s, but is now seeing a drop in that score, down to 71%. Notably, it was just hours after this Facebook post was issued that “CAM” was flooded with bad reviews.

Despite the efforts of Avery’s supporters to tank the audience score, it’s clear audiences love the series. 

“Blown away by [Candace Owens’] new docuseries ‘Convicting a Murderer’ on [The Daily Wire]. Congrats, Candace!” wrote comedian and radio personality Adam Carolla. 

“Episode 5 of ‘Convicting a Murderer’ has been released today and all I can say is WOW,” X user Tuesday Gazette said. “The misleading narrative from the original #stevenavery doc is extremely disappointing.”

“[Candace Owens], Thank you for doing #ConvictingAMurderer – Someone has to tell Teresa Halbach’s story!” said former New York State Prosecutor and FBI profiler Jim Clemente. 

The 10-episode series contains exclusive interviews with subjects not included in the Netflix show, including law enforcement officers, family members, and fans-turned-investigators whose lives have been profoundly impacted by the case.

The latest episode in the series, titled “Manitowoc’s Involvement,” dives into Steven Avery’s $36 million lawsuit against Manitowoc County, Wisconsin, for his wrongful conviction in 1985. If you missed the first five episodes of “Convicting a Murderer,” you can still catch up here and become a member to follow the rest of the series. The remaining five episodes will debut weekly on DailyWire+ every Thursday.

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