# NJ Senator Menendez indicted on multiple corruption charges {2023-09-22} - Convicted on all counts on July 16, 2024
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nj-senator-menendez-indicted-on-multiple-corruption-charges-2023-09-22-convicted-on-all-counts-on-july-16-2024/990544
**Category:** Politics & Elections
**Created:** [September 22, 2023, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nj-senator-menendez-indicted-on-multiple-corruption-charges-2023-09-22-convicted-on-all-counts-on-july-16-2024/990544 "2023-09-22T15:02:06Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 2
### Author:  [@RitterSport](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RitterSport)
#### Post date: [September 22, 2023, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nj-senator-menendez-indicted-on-multiple-corruption-charges-2023-09-22-convicted-on-all-counts-on-july-16-2024/990544/21 "2023-09-22T17:38:36Z")
Well, he’s the chair of the foreign relations committee and also is accused of being bribed to help Egypt, so that’s a pretty bad combination. I’m surprised it isn’t in bigger print on the NY Times website – it’s a big deal, or should be, for a sitting senator to be indicted on felony corruption charges (again…).
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### Author:  [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)
#### Post date: [September 22, 2023, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nj-senator-menendez-indicted-on-multiple-corruption-charges-2023-09-22-convicted-on-all-counts-on-july-16-2024/990544/22 "2023-09-22T18:19:22Z")
> [@Sage\_Rat](#):
>
> I’d be reasonably happy with a law that barred people from office if a jury gives a “preponderance of the evidence” result, rather than the usual “beyond a reasonable doubt”.
I’d be happy with a law that doesn’t allow government workers to take a dime from anybody outside their salary and pre-existing investments. Also they have to disqualify themselves from any conflicts of interest.
I’m kinda hard to please in this regard so your solution is more likely to happen and still the right direction. We can’t rely on congress to enforce this so removal from office has to be automatic after a criminal conviction.
There has to be some other way to conduct a trial to address removal independently of a criminal trial. Maybe a civil case of the type you suggest. ‘Preponderance of Evidence’ might not be a good standard to use. Maybe the ‘Clear and Convincing’ standard would be better for removal and barring future office.
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### Author:  [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)
#### Post date: [September 22, 2023, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nj-senator-menendez-indicted-on-multiple-corruption-charges-2023-09-22-convicted-on-all-counts-on-july-16-2024/990544/23 "2023-09-22T18:20:36Z")
> [@Love\_Rhombus](#):
>
> Or maybe I’m too cynical about corrupt politicians.
Lily Tomlin’s greatest wisdom: “No matter how cynical you get, it’s impossible to keep up.”
[edit: apparently the original form of the quote was ,“No matter how cynical you become, it’s never enough to keep up,” which isn’t as pithy, but I’m too wretched a pedant not to correct myself]
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### Author:  [@Love\_Rhombus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Love_Rhombus)
#### Post date: [September 22, 2023, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nj-senator-menendez-indicted-on-multiple-corruption-charges-2023-09-22-convicted-on-all-counts-on-july-16-2024/990544/24 "2023-09-22T18:36:48Z")
I keep seeing all of those commercials telling people to invest in gold for their retirement. Maybe that’s all he was doing? /s
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### Author:  [@RitterSport](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RitterSport)
#### Post date: [September 22, 2023, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nj-senator-menendez-indicted-on-multiple-corruption-charges-2023-09-22-convicted-on-all-counts-on-july-16-2024/990544/25 "2023-09-22T18:43:22Z")
@What_Exit, thanks for putting the date in the title. Sad that a single senator would have to have dates on all the threads started by his indictments, but here we are.
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### Author:  [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)
#### Post date: [September 22, 2023, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nj-senator-menendez-indicted-on-multiple-corruption-charges-2023-09-22-convicted-on-all-counts-on-july-16-2024/990544/26 "2023-09-22T19:00:54Z")
Very sad indeed.
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### Author:  [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)
#### Post date: [September 22, 2023, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nj-senator-menendez-indicted-on-multiple-corruption-charges-2023-09-22-convicted-on-all-counts-on-july-16-2024/990544/27 "2023-09-22T23:39:09Z")
> [@TriPolar](#):
>
> I’d be happy with a law that doesn’t allow government workers to take a dime from anybody outside their salary and pre-existing investments. Also they have to disqualify themselves from any conflicts of interest
The _ **employees** _ of the Senate and House are under strict conflict-of-interest and external-emolument strictures. Some _Members_, though, seem able to treat these as aspirational suggestions…
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### Author:  [@MulderMuffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MulderMuffin)
#### Post date: [September 22, 2023, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nj-senator-menendez-indicted-on-multiple-corruption-charges-2023-09-22-convicted-on-all-counts-on-july-16-2024/990544/28 "2023-09-22T23:53:20Z")
NJ governor and other state Democrats are calling on Menendez to resign.
> **[Gov. Murphy and other New Jersey Democrats call on Sen. Menendez to resign...](https://news.yahoo.com/gov-murphy-and-other-new-jersey-democrats-call-on-sen-menendez-to-resign-over-bribery-charges-224449422.html)**
>
> Democratic officials in New Jersey wasted little time Friday in calling for Sen. Bob Menendez to resign following his indictment earlier in the day on allegations that he and his wife had accepted bribes from three New Jersey businessmen.
Democratic officials in New Jersey wasted little time Friday in calling for Sen. Bob Menendez to resign following his indictment earlier in the day on allegati…
He declined.
> “It is not lost on me how quickly some are rushing to judge a Latino and push him out of his seat. I am not going anywhere,” Menendez said in the statement.
It’s has nothing to do with you being a Latino, my dude. More to do with this being the SECOND time credible bribery charges have been leveled against you. Read the room.
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### Author:  [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)
#### Post date: [September 23, 2023, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nj-senator-menendez-indicted-on-multiple-corruption-charges-2023-09-22-convicted-on-all-counts-on-july-16-2024/990544/29 "2023-09-23T00:25:45Z")
> [@MulderMuffin](#):
>
> “It is not lost on me how quickly some are rushing to judge a Latino and push him out of his seat. I am not going anywhere,” Menendez said in the statement.
Will Republicans ever cease their endless identity politics?!
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### Author:  [@flurb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flurb)
#### Post date: [September 23, 2023, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nj-senator-menendez-indicted-on-multiple-corruption-charges-2023-09-22-convicted-on-all-counts-on-july-16-2024/990544/30 "2023-09-23T00:43:04Z")
Wonder what Schumer’s move is here. Senate Democrats defenestrated Al Franken for allegations of conduct much less serious. I’d imagine the only reason he’s not already calling for Menendez’ resignation is because he knows it would just make him dig in more, and is trying to find some kind of soft landing to usher him out the door. Not sure how possible that is, though.
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### Author:  [@RitterSport](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RitterSport)
#### Post date: [September 23, 2023, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nj-senator-menendez-indicted-on-multiple-corruption-charges-2023-09-22-convicted-on-all-counts-on-july-16-2024/990544/31 "2023-09-23T01:46:40Z")
Good for Murphy. I really like that guy.
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### Author:  [@flurb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flurb)
#### Post date: [September 23, 2023, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nj-senator-menendez-indicted-on-multiple-corruption-charges-2023-09-22-convicted-on-all-counts-on-july-16-2024/990544/32 "2023-09-23T02:56:38Z")
Right now, Menendez has token opposition in the Democratic primary but I imagine that’ll change in a hurry after this. Personally, I’d like to see Rep Andy Kim jump into the race. He got into Congress by knocking off a Republican in a Congressional district that went to Trump by 6 points in 2016 (and he did it running as a progressive Democrat). The district has since been redrawn to be much more Democratic, so there wouldn’t be much risk of it reverting to the Republicans.
But mostly he endeared himself to me on January 6 when he spent an hour and a half on his hands and knees cleaning up the Rotunda after the insurrectionists had trashed the Capitol building.
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### Author:  [@Napier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Napier)
#### Post date: [September 23, 2023, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nj-senator-menendez-indicted-on-multiple-corruption-charges-2023-09-22-convicted-on-all-counts-on-july-16-2024/990544/33 "2023-09-23T17:16:24Z")
What a horror. I mostly see Republicans versus Democrats as antidemocracy goons versus politicians mostly trying to govern. When there’s a rotten apple on the Democratic side, it is just so toxic.
I have little hope for returning to full democracy in the US, or even retaining what’s left. That said, I don’t want to see the Dems retaliate in kind. I’d rather see us all go down with one side still legitimate.
This certainly sounds rotten, so far. If it is, I want to see the guy run out of the Senate and ruined in disgrace as fast as duly possible.
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### Author:  [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)
#### Post date: [September 23, 2023, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nj-senator-menendez-indicted-on-multiple-corruption-charges-2023-09-22-convicted-on-all-counts-on-july-16-2024/990544/34 "2023-09-23T20:41:24Z")
> [@MulderMuffin](#):
>
> NJ governor and other state Democrats are calling on Menendez to resign.
Now, if he had been in the GOP:
trump and other Republicans are calling on the US Attorney to resign, and Congress has started an investigation into this unfair and biased fake indictment.
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### Author:  [@RitterSport](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RitterSport)
#### Post date: [September 23, 2023, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nj-senator-menendez-indicted-on-multiple-corruption-charges-2023-09-22-convicted-on-all-counts-on-july-16-2024/990544/35 "2023-09-23T21:25:36Z")
I mean, Trump is currently telling congress to shut down the government to stop the Justice Department, so you’re not wrong.
I want Schumer to come out and tell him to resign. What he has done seems worse to me than what Al Franken did.
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### Author:  [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)
#### Post date: [September 23, 2023, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nj-senator-menendez-indicted-on-multiple-corruption-charges-2023-09-22-convicted-on-all-counts-on-july-16-2024/990544/36 "2023-09-23T22:18:12Z")
Depends, I actually agree with you but I think women that have been subject to sexual misconduct may well disagree with us.
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### Author:  [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)
#### Post date: [September 23, 2023, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nj-senator-menendez-indicted-on-multiple-corruption-charges-2023-09-22-convicted-on-all-counts-on-july-16-2024/990544/37 "2023-09-23T22:32:47Z")
> [@](#):
>
> “It is not lost on me how quickly some are rushing to judge a Latino and push him out of his seat. I am not going anywhere,” Menendez said in the statement.
This reminds me a lot of MLB umpire Angel Hernandez. He’s consistently among the worst-performing umpires in the league, but somehow has managed to keep his job, probably because he’d cry “discrimination” if he were fired.
As it is, he sued MLB because he claimed that it was racial discrimination which led to him been passed over to work a World Series (the league chooses its best umpires for the series), and to be assigned as a crew chief; his lawsuit was thrown out of court (and, last month, he lost his appeal of that decision).
> **[Umpire Angel Hernandez loses again in lawsuit vs MLB when appeals court...](https://apnews.com/article/angel-hernandez-umpire-lawsuit-mlb-5d93ce0aad91b748649ce5e128ad83f9)**
>
> Umpire Ángel Hernández lost again in his racial discrimination lawsuit against Major League Baseball when a federal appeals court refused to reinstate his case.
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### Author:  [@RitterSport](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RitterSport)
#### Post date: [September 23, 2023, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nj-senator-menendez-indicted-on-multiple-corruption-charges-2023-09-22-convicted-on-all-counts-on-july-16-2024/990544/38 "2023-09-23T22:53:00Z")
I definitely do not want to downplay how corrosive sexual misconduct is. I guess my thinking is that his corruption undermines the whole system.
Anyway, they’re both bad and he should be pressured to quit like Franken was.
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### Author:  [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)
#### Post date: [September 23, 2023, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nj-senator-menendez-indicted-on-multiple-corruption-charges-2023-09-22-convicted-on-all-counts-on-july-16-2024/990544/39 "2023-09-23T22:54:32Z")
Fully agree. Including your reasoning.
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### Author:  [@PhillyGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PhillyGuy)
#### Post date: [September 23, 2023, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nj-senator-menendez-indicted-on-multiple-corruption-charges-2023-09-22-convicted-on-all-counts-on-july-16-2024/990544/40 "2023-09-23T22:57:52Z")
> [@flurb](#):
>
> Personally, I’d like to see Rep Andy Kim jump into the race.
[https://www.cnn.com/2023/09/23/politics/menendez-andy-kim-senate/index.html](https://www.cnn.com/2023/09/23/politics/menendez-andy-kim-senate/index.html)
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