J Street is deeply disturbed by the indictment of Senator Robert Menendez on federal bribery and corruption charges. The indictment alleges that Menendez used his official position as Chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee (SFRC) to enrich himself and others, and to take actions improperly benefiting the Government of Egypt. In light of these incredibly serious charges and the numerous alarming details included in the indictment, we call on Sen. Menendez to resign from the Senate immediately.
While Sen. Menendez has the right to a fair trial and to defend himself against these charges in court, it’s clear that this indictment has raised an undeniable cloud of suspicion over his conduct as SFRC Chair, and that he can no longer hold a position of public trust as a US Senator.
As a pro-Israel, pro-peace, pro-democracy advocacy organization, J Street works frequently with SFRC on critical issues related to US-Israel relations, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, US aid and security assistance, and many other aspects of American foreign policy. In light of this indictment, it’s clear that Senator Menendez should not continue to play an official role in making policy on these issues or other important public matters.