McConnell calls for ethics probe of Menendez

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said on Thursday that the Senate Ethics Committee should investigate Sen. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) after his bribery and corruption trial ended in a mistrial. 

“Because of the seriousness of these charges, I am calling on the Senate Ethics committee to immediately investigate Senator Menendez’s actions which led to his indictment,” McConnell said in a statement. 

He added that “Senator Menendez was indicted on numerous federal felonies. He is one of only twelve U.S. senators to have been indicted in our history.”

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Menendez’s bribery and corruption trial ended with the judge declaring a mistrial on Thursday after jurors were unable to come to a consensus on the felony charges after days of deliberating.

The decision is largely considered a win for Menendez, with 10 jurors favoring acquitting him on the charges, while two did not.

But McConnell said the months-long trial “shed light on serious accusations of violating the public’s trust as an elected official, as well as potential violations of the Senate’s Code of Conduct.” 

McConnell’s request came hours after he also called on the Ethics Committee to review allegations of sexual misconduct against Democratic Sen. Al Franken (Minn.). McConnell has also warned GOP Senate candidate Roy Moore that he will face an ethics investigation if he wins the special election in Alabama next month.