Sen. Bob Menendez and His Wife Indicted: Can He Weather the Storm?

New Jersey Sen. Bob Menendez and his wife, Nadine, were indicted on federal bribery charges on Friday, September 23, 2023. The indictment alleges that the couple accepted over $500,000 in bribes from three New Jersey businessmen in exchange for official favors, including lobbying for the businessmen’s interests in the Senate. The indictment is the second against Menendez in recent years. In 2017, he was indicted on corruption charges related to his relationship with a Florida businessman. That trial ended in a mistrial after a jury was unable to reach a verdict. Menendez has denied all of the charges against him and has vowed to remain in office. However, New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy has called on Menendez to resign, saying that the allegations against him have “severely compromised“ his ability to represent the people of New Jersey. Murphy’s call for resignation In a statement released on Friday, Murphy said that he was “deeply disappointed and saddened&