Following the announcement of the federal indictment of New Jersey Senator Robert Menendez, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington President Noah Bookbinder, a former federal corruption prosecutor, released the following statement:

“With these latest revelations, it’s time for Senator Menendez to resign. The stain of corruption continuously taints Menendez. CREW has for years raised concerns about Menendez potentially selling his position, and the Senate Ethics Committee previously found serious misconduct by him. The conduct outlined in today’s indictment and the evidence presented are even more damning. The people of New Jersey should not have to be constantly questioning whether one of their senators is taking action for them or to line his pockets. Menendez deserves a fair trial and a presumption of innocence on these latest charges, but it is not appropriate for him to remain in office. Out of respect for the institution of the Senate, he must step down.”

 

Photo from Robert Menendez’s Flickr under a Creative Commons license.