Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) on Wednesday held off from calling for Sen. Bob Menendez’s resignation after the New Jersey Democrat was charged by federal prosecutors with bribery and corruption.
Schumer told reporters that he was “deeply disappointed” and “disturbed” when he read the indictment released late last week, which alleges that Menendez and his wife accepted bribes in order to enrich three New Jersey businessmen and benefit Egypt.
“I’ve known Sen. Menendez a very long time and was truly, truly upset. But we all know that … for senators, there’s a much, much higher standard, and clearly when you read the indictment, Sen. Menendez fell way, way below that standard,” Schumer said.
He added that Menendez will address Senate Democrats during lunch Thursday.
“We’ll see what happens after that,” Schumer said.
Schumer’s remarks come even though the rest of his Democratic leadership team has backed Menendez stepping down from his seat. Sens. Dick Durbin (Ill.) and Patty Murray (Wash.) both made such calls earlier Wednesday, while Sens. Debbie Stabenow (Mich.) and Amy Klobuchar (Minn.) did so Tuesday.
As of Wednesday afternoon, more than half of the Senate Democratic Conference had come out in support of Menendez resigning, though he has indicated no plans to do so.
“I’m innocent. What’s wrong with you guys?” Menendez said Tuesday when asked why he is not stepping aside.
Menendez and his wife, Nadine, pleaded not guilty to the federal charges in New York earlier Wednesday.
The Democratic leader had not commented on Menendez since Friday, when he said that he backed Menendez’s decision to step away from his post as chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
Moments earlier, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) declined to take a position on Menendez’s future and whether he should still have access to classified documents.
“I think that’s an issue for the Democrats to deal with,” he told reporters.