Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) isn’t offering any opinions about whether indicted Sen. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) should resign or be expelled from the Senate, telling reporters Wednesday: “I think that’s an issue for the Democrats to deal with.”
Senate Republicans are sitting back and watching how Democrats handle the messy political fallout from a 39-page indictment that federal prosecutors filed last week in the Southern District of New York.
About half the Senate Democratic conference has called on the 69-year-old New Jersey senator to step down from office, including the top members of the Senate Democratic leadership team.
Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (Ill.), the No. 2-ranking Democratic leader; Senate Democratic Policy & Communications Committee Chairwoman Debbie Stabenow (Mich.) and Senate President Pro Tempore Patty Murray (D-Wash.) on Wednesday all called on Menendez to resign.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), however, declined to follow suit at a press conference after the weekly Democratic lunch, telling reporters he would wait to hear what Menendez has to say when he speaks to the Democratic conference on Thursday.
“Like you, I was just deeply disappointed, disturbed when I read the indictment. I’ve known Sen. Menendez a very long time, and I was truly, truly upset,” he said.
“He will address the Democratic caucus, and we’ll see what happens after that,” Schumer said.